Module 3

Geoinformatics (GFM) Program

Geoinformation Management (GIM) Program

Urban Planning and Land Administration (UPLA) Program

Exercises

Principles of Geographic Information Systems

Authors:
Walid Belal
Connie Blok (Module Coordinator)
Ellen-Wien Augustijn
Fabio Corsi
Maura Gebska
Richard Knippers
Willy Kock
Monika Kuffer
Rob Lemmens
Ton Mank
Blanca Perez

October 2005

1
Exercise 1
Introduction to ArcCatalog
Ton Mank (2002); last update: Fabio Corsi (August 2005)

Exercise 2
Introduction to ArcMap
Willy Kock (2002); last update: Fabio Corsi (August 2005)

Exercise 3
Data entry and management
Walid Belal (2002); last update: Monika Kuffer (September 2005)

Exercise 4
Using toolboxes
Ellen-Wien Augustijn (2004); last update: Connie Blok (October 2005)

Exercise 5
Spatial referencing
Richard Knippers (2002); last update: Richard Knippers (September
2005)

Exercise 6
Tabular data and basic queries
Blanca Perez (2002); last update: Monika Kuffer (September 2005)

Exercise 7
Spatial queries
Maura Gebska & Lalit Kumar (2002); last update: Fabio Corsi (August
2005)

Exercise 8
Measurement operations
Maura Gebska (2001); last update: Connie Blok (October 2005)

Exercise 9
Spatial analysis with vector data
Blanca Perez (2002); last update: Ellen-Wien Augustijn (October 2005)

Exercise 10
Spatial analysis with raster data
Ellen-Wien Augustijn (2002); last update: Ellen-Wien Augustijn (October
2005)

Exercise 11
Spatial data visualisation
Ton Mank (2002); last update: Connie Blok (October 2005)

Exercise 12
Data quality
Rob Lemmens (2002); last update: Fabio Corsi (August 2005)

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 3

Preface
The book: “Exercises - Principles of Geographic Information Systems” is used in
several programmes at ITC in the core module GIS. The book has been compiled
in such a way that it corresponds with the text and structure of the lecture notes
“Principles of GIS”, edited by Rolf A. de By (2004).
In the GIS module, we will expose you to GIS theory (using the lecture notes)
and let you solve practical GIS problems in the exercises (using this exercises
book). We hope that you will treat lectures and practicals as one integrated whole:
refer back to the textbook when you do the exercises; at the same time, the exercises
will help you to understand the theory.
The exercise notes are based on ArcGIS version 9.0. The book contains
twelve exercises. Each exercise concentrates on one topic, such as: data entry
and management, tabular data and basic queries, spatial referencing, spatial
data analysis and spatial data visualization. The applications described in the
exercises are hypothetical: they are made up by the authors to show how GIS
can be used to solve different types of application problems. All the exercises
use data of Enschede and its surroundings. Most of these data was obtained via
the “Common Database Project”. We have chosen this dataset for two reasons.
Firstly, most ITC students live in Enschede and we hope that they will be able
to relate to these data. Secondly, the “Common Database Project” is an ongoing
initiative; we hope that in future more data will become available and that this
will help us to further improve this exercise set.

Acknowledgements
Staff of different ITC departments has contributed to the exercise notes; there names
can be found on the previous pages. The aim of the working group responsible
for the compilation of the materials was to make the practicals equally suitable for
students in the GIM, GFM and UPLA course. This book is an update of the 2004
(version 3.0) exercise book
We like to acknowledge the municipality of Enschede for providing us with
the manhole data that was used to create a height grid. Finally, Wim Feringa was
responsible for the layout of this volume.

Authorship
As ITC staff or student, you are welcome to use the exercises notes in this volume
in your teaching and learning. However, as a courtesy to the authors, you are
required to notify the author when using these materials in your teaching, and
you may not change the contents of the exercise notes without the author’s
approval. You may also use these materials on ITC related consulting projects on
the condition that the authorship and the contents of the exercise notes are not
changed.

On behalf of all authors,

Connie Blok

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 5

 Module Coordinator
Enschede, October 2005

Introduction to the exercises

Exercise 1, 2 and 4 will introduce the basic functions of ArcGIS. You will – for
example - learn how to browse for geographic data and view the metadata, how
to display different data layers and attribute tables on the screen, how to select
specific features, and how to use toolboxes. These are essential functions that are
used throughout the exercises in this module. The rest of the exercises follow the
sequence “data entry”, ”data analysis” and ”data visualisation”. Data entry is
covered in exercises 3, 5 and 6. Data analysis is the main topic in exercises 7, 8, 9
and 10. Visualisation is treated in exercise 11. Last but not least, there is an exercise
series on data quality (exercise 12). The exercises follow (as much as possible) the
sequence applied in the lecture notes.

About ArcGIS
ArcGIS (a product of ESRI) consists of two parts: ArcCatalog is used to preview
data, store metadata and change the data structure; ArcMap can be used to edit
data, analyse data and visualize data (including map layouts).
When you buy ArcGIS, you can decide to buy the complete set
containing all the functionality of the software. This will be called “Arc/Info”.
There are two other levels, ArcGis – Arcview and ArcGIS – ArcEditor that will
provide you with a subset of the functionality.
ArcGIS comes with its own dataformat called the Geodatabase
(see particularly exercise 3), but it can work with many other data formats, like
Shapefiles, Coverages and CAD files.
Please remember that although we have chosen ArcGIS as software
pakage for the exercises, the theory taught in this module could have been
illustrated equally well with a number of products from other vendors.

Blackboard
You are not able to do the exercises described in this volume without using the
corresponding Blackboard course: 03: Principles of GIS (2005). Under Assignments
in Blackboard, you can access the following:
● exercise description (also included in this volume)
● exercise data
● results of the exercise
● answers to the questions posed in the text
● solutions for the challenges included in the exercises.

The folders in Blackboard are made available in a sequence that corresponds with
the practicals. Note that every exercise has its own folder with data.

How to approach the exercises

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 7

 Some of you may have experience in working with ArcGIS, Arc/Info or ArcView,
while others are completely new to the software. People also learn in different
ways. Some students like to explore the possibilities on their own, while others
like to have step-by-step guidance at first encounter. That is why these exercises
can be used in different ways. If you have experience with ArcGIS, we advise you
to:

► read the introduction,

► carefully study and complete the exercise shortcut,

► complete the challenges

► read the summary.

We advise a novice ArcGIS user to:

► start at the introduction of each exercise

► go through the step-by-step instructions.

► read the summary \

► if time allows, complete some of the challenges, but if you are under
time pressure, skip the challenges and proceed to the next exercise.

Note: The challenges do not contain compulsory information included in the

8 ITC Educational Textbook Series

practical or in the theoretical exam.

Symbols
In this document, you will see a number of symbols representing different
meanings.

► Activity

This symbol means that you have to do something either on your computer
or on paper or a series of actions can follow.

□ Action

This symbol means that you have to do something either on your computer
or on paper.

▐ Attention

This symbol means that you have to be cautious about the point that is
mentioned here. It may tell you what to do in case of error or even how to
prevent errors.

 Book reference

This symbol means that you can refer to a section in the textbook of principles
of GIS, for better understanding on the theory.

 Question

This symbol indicates a question that has to be answered. Answers are

accessible through BlackBoard.

► Challenge

This symbol indicates the beginning of a new challenge exercise.

A non-compulsory part of an exercise.

Enjoy your work!

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 9

Table of Contents

Exercise 1 17
Topics:
1.1 Introduction to ArcCatalog 17
Toolbars
1.2 Starting ArcCatalog: the user interface 18
The ArcCatalog window
1.3 Why use ArcCatalog? 19
Browse for maps and data
Explore the data
View and create metadata
ArcCatalog as a gateway to ArcMap
Manage data sources
1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog 22
Browse for maps and data
Explore the data
Exploring Geographic data.
Exploring Tabular data
Change how tables look
Change the width of a column
Change the position of a column
Freeze a column
Sorting columns
Calculate statistics
Adding a column
View and editing metadata
Editing metadata
Manage data sources
ArcCatalog as a gateway to ArcMap
1.5 Challenge 37
1.6 Summary 38

Exercise 2 39
Topics
2.1 Introduction to ArcMap 39
Toolbars
Why use ArcMap?
How to learn ArcMap?
2.2 Using map documents 40
What is a Map Document?
The Map Window
The Table of Contents
Toolbars and Menus
2.3 Moving around the map 46

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 11

 Creating a spatial bookmark:
Removing a spatial bookmark:
Data view and layout view
The Table of Contents
Explore the data in your map
Selecting Features
2.4 Rendering Data 62
Drawing a layer using a single symbol
Unique value symbology
2.5 Working with map documents 67
2.6 Different data types 69
Identify geographic phenomena
Identify computer representation of a phenomena
2.7 Getting Help 72
2.8 Summary 74
2.9 Challenges 74

Exercise 3 75
Topics:
3.1 Introduction 75
Data entry and management
Shortcut:
Toolbars
3.2 The Geodatabase 77
Explore personal Geodatabase
Managing Personal Geodatabase
3.3 Data entry and editing 84
Digitise new polygon building blocks to the buildings feature class.
Geodatabase Topology
Working with shared boundaries and vertices
Create a new point feature class for bus stops
3.4 Summary 97
3.5 Challenges 98

Exercise 4 99
Topics:
4.1 Introduction 99
Shortcut:
4.2 Step by step exercise 100
What are toolboxes
Executing a tool
Finding tools
Creating your own toolbox
Adding tools to a toolbox
Show toolbox
4.3 Challenges 108
4.4 Summary 109

12 ITC Educational Textbook Series

Exercise 5 111
Topics:
5.1 Introduction 111
Shortcut:
Toolbars and Toolboxes
5.2 Projection change 112
5.3 Set-up a custom coordinate system 116
5.4 “On the fly” projection change 119
5.5 Coordinate transformations of vector data files 127
Define a data file’s coordinate system
Convert a data file into a different coordinate system.
5.6 Map coordinate system selection 131
A. Select the map projection
B. Select the projection parameters
5.7 Georeferencing a raster image 133
5.8 Optional advanced exercises 137
Assign coordinate information to a geocoded image
5.9 Summary 139

Exercise 6 141
Topics:
6.1 Introduction 141
Shortcut
Toolbars and Toolboxes
6.2 Exploring the data 143
Identifying features
Interactive Spatial Selection
Perform a basic query
6.3 Create and modify tabular data 148
Identifying errors
Improving the database
Option one:
Option two:
Create a new table
6.4 Joining, relating tables and performing queries 156
Relating tabular data
Joining tabular data
6.5 Summarizing tables 163
6.6 Challenges 166
6.7 Summary 167

Exercise 7 169
Topics:
7.1 Introduction 169
Shortcut
Toolbars

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 13

 7.2 Spatial Selection Queries 172
Select features by location
Display statistics for the selected features
Save selected features
Combined attribute and location query with specified selection method
Join attributes by location
7.3 Challenges 181
7.4 Summary 182

Exercise 8 183
Topics:
8.1 Introduction 183
Shortcut
Toolbars and Toolboxes
8.2 Measurement functions 185
Introduction Exercise
Point measurements
Interactive line measurements 190
Line measurements - Length
Polygon based measurements
8.3 Challenges 196
8.4 Summary 196

Exercise 9 197
Topics:
9.1 Introduction 197
Shortcut
9.2 Description of the operations 198
UNION:
CLIP:
DISSOLVE
INTERSECT:
ERASE:
9.3 Conceptual model 201
9.4 Step by step solution 202
Defining the output workspace
Defining excluded areas
Defining ‘obligatory’ areas
Choosing ‘candidate’ areas
Within a district with young population
9.5 Challenges 217
9.6 Summary 218

14 ITC Educational Textbook Series

Exercise 10 219
Topics:
10.1 Introduction 219
Shortcut:
Toolbars and Toolboxes
10.2 Problem definition 221
10.3 Step by step exercise 222
Project preparation
Exploring your data
Setting the Environment settings
Convert from features to raster
Display two raster layers together
Reclassification height
Suitable landuse classes
Create a distance layer
Combine the three suitability layers
Create a new raster with the most suitable areas
10.4 Challenges 235
10.5 Summary 236

Exercise 11 237
Topics:
11.1 Introduction 237
Shortcut:
Toolbars and Toolboxes
11. 2 Step by step exercise 238
Production of an Administrative map
Production of a population density map
Data classification
Number of dwellings in Enschede
Labelling area features
Producing a layout
11.3 Challenges 255
11.6 Summary 256

Exercise 12 257
Topics:
12.1 Introduction 257
Shortcut 257
Toolbars
12.2 Quality assessment 258
12.3 Challenges 261
12.4 Summary 262

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 15

Exercise 1

Introduction to ArcCatalog

Topics:

What do we use ArcCatalog for, Getting familiar with the ArcCatalog interface,
How to browse for map documents and data, Explore geographic and tabular
data, View and create metadata, Using ArcCatalog as a gateway to ArcMap.

1.1 Introduction to ArcCatalog

In this exercise we will explore ArcCatalog to learn how it is used within the ArcGIS
environment. We will practise the most important functions of ArcCatalog. The
first part of the exercise is meant to become familiar with the interface. The other
parts deal with specific functions such as browsing and exploring data, creating
metadata, etc. Finally ArcCatalog will be used as a gateway to ArcMap.

NB, not all functions of ArcCatalog will be treated in this exercise due to time limitations.
When necessary, additional functions will be introduced later in the course.

The time required to complete this exercise is 120 minutes.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course
03: Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 1: Introduction to
ArcCatalog/Exercise data

► Copy the entire folder to your personal directory.

BEFORE we start the ArcGIS application, we will first have a look at the most
important components of ArcCatalog.

Toolbars

Toolbars are areas of the application’s interface where you have buttons that
activate various features and functions. Each one of the ArcGIS applications has
a number of different toolbars. Each toolbar can be made visible (activated) or
hidden (deactivated).

17
1.2 Starting ArcCatalog: the user interface

In the paragraph: ‘Getting familiar with the ArcCatalog interface’, you will
be introduced to the various toolbars of ArcCatalog, and will learn where to find
them and what they do.

1.2 Starting ArcCatalog: the user interface

We assume that this is the first time you use the software. We will therefore briefly
show the components of ArcCatalog’s desktop.

► Start ArcCatalog

□ Start\Programs\ArcGIS\ArcCatalog

Fig. 1.1
Open ArcCatalog from
desktop

□ Maximise ArcCatalog to occupy the whole screen, see Fig.1.2

When ArcCatalog starts, by default the Main Menu and the Standard Toolbar
appear. Other toolbars can be activated to perform additional tasks using the
Toolbars item under the View menu. For this exercise all of the toolbars needed are
already visible.
The position of the toolbars within the interface is flexible; they can float on
the desktop and you can reposition them at any time or, alternatively the toolbars
can be docked to any side of the ArcCatalog window.

18 ITC Educational Textbook Series

 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

The ArcCatalog window

Fig. 1.2
Overview of
ArcCatalog interface

In ArcCatalog commands and functions can be accessed through:

Menus: arrange commands by topic in a list
Buttons and menu items: execute a command when you click them
Tools: require interaction with the user and
generally display a dialog before a command
is executed
Combo boxes: let you choose options from a dropdown list
Text boxes or edit boxes: allows to input parameters
For the rest of the exercise you will work with the data you copied on your M:\
drive.

1.3 Why use ArcCatalog?

ArcCatalog is a software designed for two main purposes: on one hand, ArcCatalog
allows you to manage, access, explore existing geographic data irrespective of
the format in which the data is stored or its location, whether on the local discs
or elsewhere on the network. As such you can best compare it with Windows
Explorer, but specifically tailored for Geo-spatial data.
On the other hand, using ArcCatalog you can change the structure of the
data. For instance, you can create of a new geodatabase, load existing data into
your geodatabase and delete or add fields in attribute tables.
In this exercise we will mainly focus on the exploratory part of
ArcCatalog.

Browse for maps and data

Like in Windows Explorer, you can view the content of a folder or database in
the Contents tab. Similarly to Explorer, you may choose to see the contents as
small or large icons, in the form of a list with details or to see a snapshot of their
geographic content.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 19

1.3 Why use ArcCatalog?

Fig. 1.3
‘Snapshot’ Preview
of various types of
geographic data which
can be managed with
ArcCatalog

Explore the data

For a general understanding of the geographic extent of the data, the thumbnail
view will do. However to examine the geographic data more closely, the Preview
tab allows a detailed displays of the data. Using the appropriate buttons from
the Geography toolbar, you can zoom, pan the geography or identify (get a text
description of) features in your data.

Fig.1.4
Detailed Preview of the
geographic data

Alternatively you can switch the display from Geography to Table and view the
attribute table associated with the geography.

20 ITC Educational Textbook Series

 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

Fig. 1.5
Preview of the
attributes associated
with the geographic
data.

View and create metadata

Metadata are properties and documentation describing the data. Properties are
derived from the data source, like data type (e.g. shapefile) and geometry type
(e.g. polygon). Documentation is additional information which helps understand
where the data comes from and what it is about (e.g. title, summary description,
ownership, publication data, language of the dataset; metadata date). A popular
definition of Metadata is ‘data about data’.

Fig 1.6
Metadata describe
the properties and
document the data

ArcCatalog has a built-in metadata editor. The metadata editor can be used to
store additional information or to create new metadata when no metadata exist.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 21

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

ArcCatalog as a gateway to ArcMap

Once you have examined the data using ArcCatalog, you may want to perform
[A] some analyses, or create a map or a layout using ArcMap. You can open the
application ArcMap by double-clicking on an ArcMap document, which has the
following icon [A] and the extension .mxd. Alter-natively, you can start ArcMap
[B] by pressing the button [B] from the Standard toolbar.

Manage data sources

ArcCatalog contains also functionalities to manage and organise your data.

Management functions include deleting, copying or renaming data sets. To
organise a well-ordered library of spatial data either on your local hard drive or
on the network environment ArcCatalog includes functions such as creating new
folders and new geo-databases.

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

We will now go through some of the basic functions in ArcCatalog which allow
you to perform the functionalities illustrated in the previous section.

Browse for maps and data

In order to browse the data, you will first have to establish a connection to the
location where the data resides. This location can be local, on your C:\ or D:\
drive or somewhere on the network. Given that you were asked to copy the data
from Blackboard to your personal directory on M:\, you will start by establishing
a connection to your M:\ drive:

► Connect to the M:\ drive

[C] □ In the Standard toolbar (see Fig. 1.2), find the Connect to Folder [C]
button and click on it.

□ In the Dialog Window, navigate to the M:\ drive, see Fig. 1.7

□ Click OK

In the Catalog tree, notice the addition of the M:\ drive.

In the Catalog tree click on the plus sign next to the icon of the M:\ drive.
This will expand one level of the tree and show the contents of the drive.

If you copied the exercise data in your root folder of the M:\ drive, then notice that the
folder Exercise01 is now visible in the tree. If you copied the data under a different folder,
please continue opening the tree structure until you reach the appropriate folder.

► Select the Exercise01 folder by clicking once on the icon.

22 ITC Educational Textbook Series

 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

fig. 1.7
Connect to Folder
dialog window

When you select a folder, notice that in the Contents tab you will see all of the
files, datasets and subfolders stored under the selected folder.
Now let us have a closer look at the content of the subfolders of the
EnschedeData:

► Browse for data.

□ Continue to expand the tree: double-click on the icons of the following

folders

□ Exercise01→ EnschedeData

▐ Notice that the content in the folder ‘Enschede Data’ is displayed with a
different icon in the Contents tab. ‘Large_enschede.mdb’ is a Personal
Geodatabase

► Explore the contents of the Personal Geodatabase

□ Double click on the icon of the ‘Large_enschede.mdb’ Personal

Geodatabase.

The layers contained in the Personal Geodatabase are now displayed. Layers
within a Personal Geodatabase are called Feature Classes

► Explore the buttons from the Standard toolbar. Which button allows
you to find out the type of these data?

Answer:

▐ Notice that if you leave the mouse cursor on a button for a few seconds, a
small popup window with the name of the button will appear.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 23

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

□ Encircle the type of features that each one of the following feature
classes contains:
e_boundary: Points - Lines - Polygons
e_districts: Points - Lines - Polygons
e_mainroads: Points - Lines - Polygons
e_neighbourhood: Points - Lines - Polygons
e_railway: Points - Lines - Polygons
e_roads: Points - Lines - Polygons
e_water: Points - Lines - Polygons

 To learn more about the Folders and data types, refer to the Help menu:
ArcGIS Desktop Help, on the Contents tab: ArcCatalog - Getting started
with ArcCatalog - What?s in the Catalog.

In the Standard toolbar one of the view options is Thumbnails. A thumbnail is a

snapshot of the geography of a file.

□ Change the view to Thumbnails. Locate the appropriate button by

moving the mouse on each button of the Standard toolbar and wait-ing
[D] for the popup window to show [D]

□ Make sure that you have the Contents tab selected. See Fig. 1.3

Although the view is set to thumbnails you see that only some of the feature
classes are displayed as thumbnails, while others are simply displayed as large
icons. This is because thumbnails are not created automatically, but you need to
specifically create them:

► Create Thumbnail

□ In the Contents tab select one of the Feature Classes without

thumbnail.

□ Select the Preview tab.

ArcCatalog displays a preview of the geography of the selected Feature Class.

This preview can now be used to create a snapshot (Thumbnail).

[E] □ From the Geography toolbar select Create Thumbnail [E] and click
once.

□ Next, return to the Contents tab and notice the icon has changed into a
small image of the preview.

□ Convert all remaining icons in the sub-subfolder map elements into

Thumbnails.

24 ITC Educational Textbook Series

 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

Once you have produced thumbnails for all of the Feature classes in the Personal
Geodatabase selecting the Contents tab should display something similar to fig.
1.8:

Fig. 1.8
Result of producing the
Thumbnails within the
Contents tab.

Explore the data

You have learnt to browse data from different sources. In the next topic you will
explore the data by displaying both its geography and its attributes.

Exploring Geographic data.

Most of a GIS data sets are composed of a geographic and a tabular component.
ArcCatalog allows you to preview either of them; you can toggle between them
using the dropdown list in the bottom of the Preview window:

Fig. 1.9
Toggle the contents of
the Preview window

► Let us now see an example of how to use the Preview tab

□ Select the file: e_neighbourhood Feature Class from the Catalog tree

□ Select the Preview tab

What you see now in your preview is a vector dataset that comprises the boundaries
of neighbourhoods of the city of Enschede.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 25

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

You can use the Geography toolbar to explore the geographic data:

Fig. 1.10
The buttons of the
Geographic toolbar

The Zoom In / Out buttons allow you to control the level of detail or the extent of
the area which is displayed in the preview window.

► Select an area of interest

□ Click the Zoom In button from the Geography toolbar

□ Click and drag a box over your area of interest (Fig. 1.11)

□ Release the mouse. The area you have defined will now enlarge to
occupy the entire display area of the Preview window (Fig. 1.12)

Fig. 1.11
Defining the
geographic area to
enlarge

26 ITC Educational Textbook Series

 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

Fig. 1.12
Preview of the
geography at an
enlarged scale

You have now enlarged the central part of the Feature Class. Because part of
the data in the Feature Class now falls outside of the Preview window it is not
displayed. To maintain the same scale and see the data beyond the display select
the Pan button.

The Pan button allows you to drag the display in any direction.

► Use Pan button

□ Select the Pan button from the Geographic Toolbar

□ Click and hold the mouse button at any point in the display window.

□ Move the mouse and notice that the display will follow the move-ments
of the mouse.

□ Release the mouse and the display will refresh.

□ Practise the Pan button to move around the data maintaining the same
visualisation scale.

When you are done exploring the data at the current zoom level, the Full Extent
button allows you to return to the full extent of the feature class.

► Use Full extent button

□ Click the Full Extent button and notice that the whole Enschede area is
now displayed.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 27

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

You may want to know the name of a certain neighbourhood. The Identify button
allows you to retrieve the attribute information of a feature by pointing at it with
the mouse.

► Use the Identify button

□ Click the Identify button

□ Click inside one of the neighbourhoods in the Enschede area

□ Study the Identify Results window. You?ll notice that one of the
attributes displayed is the name of the neighbourhood.

You can click inside other neighbourhoods to visualise their attributes in the
Identify results window.

Fig. 1.13
Process to identify the
attributes of a feature

□ Once you are done visualising the attributes of the neighbourhoods,

close the Identify results window by clicking the little cross in the top
right corner.

Exploring Tabular data

We will now have a look at the attribute table that is connected to the e_
neighbourhood Feature Class.

► Preview tables

□ In the Preview, change the dropdown list to Table. See Fig. 1.5 and Fig.
1.9

28 ITC Educational Textbook Series

 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

There are several options that will allow you to personalise the way the table is
displayed in the preview.

Change how tables look

If you want to change the appearance of the table, e.g. to improve the readability
of the text, you can change the default settings: for instance you may want to use
‘light green’ to highlight a selection rather than the default ‘pale blue’ and you
may want to set the font size to 10pt.

► Change default settings

□ Click on the heading of one of the columns. Notice that the whole
column turns from white to pale blue

□ From the Tools menu, select Options

□ A tabbed dialog window appears. Select the Tables tab.

□ Change the default settings to match the settings indicated above

□ Examine the visual result in the table

Fig. 1.14
Dialog window to set
ArcCatalog options

Change the width of a column

Depending on the font, size and length of records some of the information may
be hidden and/or not readable. To help readability, you may want to change the
width of the columns.

► Change width of a column

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 29

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

□ Position the mouse over the extreme right edge of the column heading:
[F] ID_ (notice the pointer of the cursor changes to [F])

□ Double-click with the left mouse button. The column width will now be
adjusted to the width of the longest entry in that column

□ Alternatively, click and drag the column?s edge to an acceptable

width

□ Release the mouse

▐ Notice that this change is temporary. If you select a different data set or close
the ArcCatalog session, the default column width will be restored.

Change the position of a column

Sometimes tables contain many columns. In order to work efficient you may have
to rearrange the columns and to position the ones you need next to each other.

► Reposition a column

□ Click the column heading: ID_ (notice that the whole column changes
to the default colour you have just selected)

□ Click the column again and hold down the mouse button

□ Drag the column heading to the location between the columns SHAPE*
and OBJECTID (notice a red line indicates the new location of the
column ID_)

□ Release the mouse button

▐ Notice that this change is temporary. If you select a different data set or close
the ArcCatalog session, the columns will resume their default positions.

Freeze a column

Sometimes you may want to compare the values in one column to the values in
the other columns. You can prevent one or more columns from moving when you
scroll the window horizontally by ‘freezing’ them.

► Freeze/Unfreeze Columns

□ Right-click on the column heading: NAME1_

□ Click Freeze/Unfreeze Column

□ Scroll horizontally by moving the horizontal slider and notice that the
column NAME1_ remains fixed at the beginning of the table.

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 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

▐ Notice that this change is temporary. If you select a different data set or close
the ArcCatalog session, all columns will be automatically unfrozen.

Sorting columns

If you need to rearrange the records in a column in alphabetical or numerical

order, proceed as follows:

► Sort Records

□ Right-click the column DISTRICT

□ In the drop-down list, click Sort Ascending

□ Scroll down the list and notice that the numbers increase

▐ Notice that this change is temporary. If you select a different data set or close
the ArcCatalog session, records will resume their default order.

Calculate statistics

ArcCatalog allows to visualise the basic statistics of numeric fields in an at-tribute

table.

► Calculate statistics

□ Right-click the heading: AREA_

□ In the drop-down list, select the option Statistics

□ The Statistics dialog box pops up and displays all information about the
values in the column AREA_

Adding a column

If you want to store additional information in the attribute table of a geodata layer
you may want to add a separate column to the table. ArcCatalog provides the
tools to add columns and define their properties.
However, ArcCatalog will not allow you to enter and/or modify the data in
the records. We will see the editing process later on, when dealing with ArcMap
functions.

► Add a field to a table

□ In the right-bottom of the Preview window click the button Options

and click Add Field. See Fig. 1.15

□ In the dialog window Add Field, fill in the name of the new column.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 31

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

Leave the rest of the properties as they are (we will treat this later in the
course).

□ Click OK

Fig. 1.15
Preview window - table
mode.

View and editing metadata

Metadata describes data resource in a standardised way. Metadata are used to

exchange information such as the file name, the data format, data quality, data
accuracy, reference system, ownership, availability, the date when the data was
created, status of update, description of the at-tribute names, etc.

By looking at the metadata of a data set, you should be able to decide

whether the data is suitable for your application, whether you will need to adapt
the data (e.g. change its projection) to integrate it into your application, whether
you will be able to access the data, who you should contact to have it, whether it
will have a cost, etc.
There are a number of standards for metadata. The objectives of the stan-dard
are to provide a common set of terminology and definitions for the documentation
of digital geospatial data.For geo-spatial information the two main standards are
the one defined by the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) with
the document 19115 ‘Geographic Information - Metadata’, and the one defined
by Federal Geographic Data Committee’s (FGDC) of the United States. For more
information refer to:

 http://www.iso.org/iso/en/ISOOnline.frontpage
 http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/contstan.html

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 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

▐ It should be clear how important it is to study the metadata before using

geospatial information obtained from somebody else. And at the same time it
should also be clear the importance of an accurate compilation of the metadata
for the geo-spatial information you will be producing.

Let us have a look to the metadata of the Feature Class e_neighbourhood:

► Explore metadata

□ In the Catalog tree select e_neighbourhood

□ In the view area, click the Metadata tab to visualise the metadata
information window.

□ Scroll through the metadata and study its’ contents

As stated earlier, metadata consist of properties and documentation. Properties

are derived from the data itself and documentation is additional descriptive
information, which is generally supplied by the data creator. However any user,
provided he/she has writing access, can change or add content to the metadata.
Within ArcCatalog you have a number of options to visualise the metadata using
different ‘Stylesheets’. Stylesheets define the way the information of the metadata
is displayed. By default ArcCatalog displays metadata using the FGDC ESRI
stylesheet.

Fig. 1.16
Metadata window -
Default Stylesheet

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 33

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

► Changing stylesheets

□ In the Metadata toolbar, click the pull down list:

□ Select any of the stylesheets

Fig. 1.17
Choosing a Metadata □ Notice the changes in the format of the metadata
Stylesheet

Editing metadata

You may need to create the metadata for a new data set or change the metadata
information for existing data. ArcCatalog allows you to add or change the
information in the metadata using the metadata editor. Let’s change the metadata
of the e-neighbourhood Feature Class. We know that the data set was produced
and obtained from the Municipality of Enschede. We?ll now add the information
of the Municipality to give them the credits they deserve and include them as
distributor:

The address details are as follows:

Organisation: Municipality Enschede
Address: Hengelosestraat 51
Enschede
Province: Overijssel
Postal code: 7514 AD
The Netherlands

► Edit metadata

[G] □ Click the button: Edit metadata [G] in the Metadata toolbar

A dialog window opens. Notice that a number of fields have the word ‘REQUIRED’
(IN RED) and a brief description of the type of information expected in that field.
The font is red to make sure the user notices that these fields are part of the
minimum information required by the metadata standard. We will deal with the
completeness of the metadata at a latter stage. For the time being,

□ Select Distribution [1] from the topmost line of the dialog window
(follow the numerical sequence in Fig. 1.18 and Fig. 1.19):

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 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

□ Click on the Distribution tab [2] and click on the Details... button [3].
This will open another dialog window (Fig. 1.19).

Fig. 1.18
Example of steps to
edit metadata

□ Select the Organisation [4] option and click on the Address [5] tab.

□ Now enter the name of the organisation [6] and the address [7] in the
appropriate fields.

Fig. 1.19
Editing contact
information with the
ArcCatalog metadata
editor

□ Click OK and Save

□ View the updated information in the metadata window. Note that some

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 35

1.4 The basic functions of ArcCatalog

of the stylesheet will not include all of the information of the metadata.
To check the updated information select the FGDC stylesheet and click
on Distribution Information link.

Manage data sources

Using ArcCatalog it is easy to manage your data in a similar way as you are used
to do with Windows Explorer.
You can copy, move, delete and rename any item that appears in the Catalog
tree or in the Contents window.

Let’s create a new folder and copy some existing data into it.

► Create a new folder

□ In the Catalog tree, select your M:\Exercise01 folder

□ Right click to open the context menu

□ Select New and click Folder

□ Type a new name for the folder you have just created, e.g. ‘My_folder’

□ Copy the Personal Geodatabase ‘Large_enschede.mdb’ to the new

folder.

 Make sure that none of the Feature Classes is active. You should see
nothing displayed either in the Contents, in the Preview or the Metadata

Fig. 1.20
Creating a new folder
with ArcCatalog

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 Exercise 1. Introduction to Arc Catalog

windows. If anyone of the Feature Classes is active, ArcCatalog locks the

Personal Geodatabase and will return an error when you try to copy it.

It is very easy to manage files and folders in ArcCatalog. It is also possible to

create (empty) geo-spatial data sets. At a later stage of the course you will see
how to create these data sets with ArcCatalog and fill them with new data with
ArcMap.

ArcCatalog as a gateway to ArcMap

So far we have briefly explored some of the most important functions of ArcCatalog.
But the purpose of ArcCatalog is data browsing and basic data management,
when you need to edit geo-spatial data, analyse it or create maps you will need to
use another application of the ArcGIS suite: ArcMap.

Most of the exercises that follow will be dealing with the basics of geoinformation
processing using the functions of ArcMap.

In order to access ArcMap, proceed as follows:

□ From the Standard toolbar select the ArcMap Icon [B] [B]

You will see the ArcMap splash screen, and then you will be prompted to select
an empty map, a new template or an existing map.

But this is the topic of the next exercise! So you can stop here and exit ArcMap.

□ In the ArcMap dialog window ignore the different options and click
OK

□ From the File menu, select Exit

1.5 Challenge

▐ One of the topics not treated in this exercise is the possibility to ‘Search by
geographic location’.

► Find all the geo data within the administrative unit (province) of
Overijssel using the ?Search by geographic location?.

Hint: if necessary, make use of the Help.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 37

1.5 Challenge

1.6 Summary
In this exercise you have studied some of the main functions of ArcCatalog.
There are more functions and options in the software then what has been
shown in this short exercise. You now have basic skills in using ArcCatalog: you
know how to preview and manage geographic and attribute data that will be
used for your analyses and GIS applications.
With the topics covered in this exercise you should have the following
skills/knowledge: Browse and explore maps and tabular data, view and create
metadata, manage data sources and use ArcCatalog to access ArcMap.

38 ITC Educational Textbook Series

Exercise 2

Introduction to ArcMap

Topics

What is ArcMap, Open an existing map, Explore a Map Document, Data view and
layout view, Select features, Simple layer rendering, Getting help.

2.1 Introduction to ArcMap

In this exercise you will explore ArcMap and understand how it is used within
the ArcGIS environment. We will practise the basic functions of ArcMap.
Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard
course 03: Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 2: In-troduction
to ArcMap/Exercise02

► Copy the folder ‘Exercise02’ to your personal M: drive

Toolbars

As we have already seen in Exercise 1, Toolbars are areas of the application’s

interface where you have buttons that activate various features and functions.
Like ArcCatalog, also ArcMap has a number of different toolbars. And like
ArcCatalog, each toolbar can be made visible (activated) or hidden (deactivated).
We will further discuss toolbars later in the exercise

Why use ArcMap?

ArcMap is ArcGIS’s desktop application for all map-based tasks. These include
data/map analysis, editing and production of maps.
In ArcMap the user can: visualize data, associate symbols to the data, make
selections, analyse data, create data, present data.

39
2.1 Introduction to ArcGis

How to learn ArcMap?

ArcMap is the application of ArcGIS which is used to perform most of the

operations (e.g. data visualization, data analysis, map production etc.). It also
serves as gateway to a number of extensions that perform specific tasks and
analyses (extensions will be further discussed at a later stage of the course).
You can imagine that such a vast application will require more than one
exercise to be understood!
Luckily, to get the first basic results you do not have to master all of the
functions and processes available in ArcMap.And the purpose of this exercise is
to guide your first steps through the basic functionalities of ArcMap and show
you how you can create a map document, change the representation of a map and
explore map data.
Most of the remainder of the course will introduce additional features of
ArcMap. Even then, the course will have covered only a portion of the functions
available in ArcMap. To learn more about ArcMap you can use the ArcMap
Online Help System, which is available at any time and accessible directly from
the ArcMap user interface. We will explore the Online Help in the last part of this
exercise.

2.2 Using map documents

► Open an existing map document

□ Click the start button on Window’s taskbar.

□ Point to Programs, go to ArcGIS and select ArcMap

Fig. 2.1:
Running ArcMap from
the Start menu

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

□ The ArcMap opening dialog will be visualised on top of the ArcMap

GUI (Graphic User Interface).

In the ‘Start using Arcmap with’ pane, click on the option ‘An existing
map:’ and click OK

Fig. 2.2:
Opening screen of the
ArcMap application

□ In the ‘Open’ dialog box that appears, click the ‘Look in’ dropdown
arrow and navigate to your M: drive and to the exercise 2 data folder
(Exercise02→ArcMapIntro)

Fig. 2.3:
Navigate to the folder
where you stored the
data set for Exercise 2

□ Click on the map you want to open (for this exercise you will open the
map: ‘Intro_to_Arcmap.mxd’ (notice that saved ArcGis maps have the
file extension .mxd). Now click on the Open button.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 41

2.2 Using map documents

Fig. 2.4:
Selecting and opening
your ArcMap document

Your screen should now show a map like the one below

Fig. 2.5:
A Map Document
showing the simplified
Enschede dataset

What is a Map Document?

A Map Document stores the representation (maps, graphs, tables) and the
references to the location of the geodata sources displayed.
When you open a Map Document in ArcMap, it will find the associated
geodata sets following the links that are stored in the document. Then it will dis-
play the data using the symbolic representation defined in the document itself.

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

When you save a Map Document, ArcMap will create a link to all of the
geodata displayed and will save the current representation of the data.

▐ Note that a saved Map Document does not store the spatial data displayed
in it, but only the references to these data! If you rename a dataset or change
the location where it is stored on your hard drive, the next time you open the
Map Document it will not be able to locate the data. (For people familiar with
ArcView, a Map Document in ArcMap is more or less the same as a Project
in ArcView).

The Map Window

The large window currently displaying the simplified map of Enschede is called
the Map Window. Any geographic representation of your data will be displayed
in the Map Window.
You can change the portion of the ArcMap window used to display the
Map Window by clicking and dragging the border between the Table of Contents
(see following paragraph) and the Map Window.

The Table of Contents

The smaller window on the left side is the Table of Contents. It shows which
geodata sets are loaded in your Map Document.
In the Table of Contents data are organised in layers; in general layers
represent features of the same type such as lakes, districts, roads etc.The Table
of Contents also shows the legend used to display the features of a layer in the
map.
The check box next to each layer indicates whether or not the layer is active
in the map. When the box is checked the layer is visible, when it is un-checked the
layer is hidden.
You can change the portion of the ArcMap window used to display the Table
of Content by clicking and dragging the border between the Table of Contents
and the Map Window.

Toolbars and Menus

Toolbars and Menus are meant to organise functions, commands and tools in
groups which include all of the actions related to specific tasks.
The first time you open ArcMap it displays the Main Menu, the Standard
toolbar, and a floating window with the Tools toolbar.

▐ Note that you can arrange the way toolbars are displayed in ArcMap. You
can leave them ‘floating’ as independent small windows or you can anchor
them to ArcMap?s main window.

► Anchor the Tools toolbars to the main windows:

□ Move the mouse pointer to the Title Bar of the Tools floating window

□ Click and hold the left button of the mouse

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 43

2.2 Using map documents

□ Drag the window to the upper edge of the main window

Fig. 2.6:
Drag the Tools toolbar
window to the edge
of the main ArcMap
window.

□ Release the mouse button

Fig. 2.7:
Anchor the toolbar
by releasing the
mouse button once
the floating window
has been dragged to
the edge of the main
window.

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

Like in ArcCatalog, ArcMap also has many more toolbars then the ones that
are displayed by default.Similarly to ArcCatalog, you can activate or
deactivate toolbars from the Toolbars option in the View menu or from the
Customize... dialog box under the Tools menu: a check mark next to the toolbar
name indicates that it’s visible.

► Show the toolbars needed for this exercise:

□ From the main menu click: View and point to Toolbars

□ In the list of toolbars, check or uncheck the checkbox next to the name
to show or hide a toolbar.

□ For this exercise, make sure that the toolbars ?Main Menu?, ?Standard?,
‘Tools’ and ‘Layout’ are checked.

Fig. 2.8:
Activating toolbars
from the View menu.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 45

2.3 Moving around the map

2.3 Moving around the map

You have different options to ?navigate? the map. For instance, you can zoom and
pan around the data or display the data at a specific scale:

► Zoom in or out

[A] □ Click the Zoom Out button on the Tools toolbar [A]

□ Move the mouse pointer over the map and click. The map will be re-
displayed at a smaller scale centred on the point where you clicked.

[B] □ Now select the Zoom In tool by clicking on the [B] button in the Tools
toolbar

□ Move the mouse pointer over the map and click once to zoom-in around
the selected point.

□ To zoom-in, you can also click and drag a rectangle to define the area
you want to zoom to. Try also this other method of zooming.

► Panning

[C] □ Click the Pan button on the Tools toolbar [C]

□ Move the mouse pointer over the map; click and drag the pointer to
move the map

□ Release the mouse button

► Zoom to the full extent of the data

□ Locate the Full Extent button in the Tools toolbar.

▐ Hint: to find the correct button, move the mouse cursor on the buttons of the
toolbar. As you move check the Status bar where a brief description of the
button currently under your mouse pointer will be displayed. The button
you are looking for will display: ?Zooms to the full extent of the map?

□ Once you locate the correct tool, click the Full Extent button.

The map is zoomed to the full extent; all of the features included in the map will
be shown on the display!

► Move to the previous display

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

□ The Back Extent button allows you to move back through your previous
zoom settings. Once you move backwards you can move forward using
the Forward Extend button. [D] [D]

► Zoom to a specific map scale

□ In the Standard toolbar the Map Scale tool [E] allows you to specify [E]
the scale at which you want to see the data on the screen. Just type the
desired scale in the text box (in this case type: 1:100000) and then press
Enter.

□ Try the tool (and investigate scale properties) by displaying the map at
some other scales.

□ Once you are done, zoom to Full Extent [F]. Notice that the value in the [F]
Map Scale tool also changes.

Creating a spatial bookmark:

Sometimes you may want to remember a specific location and/or a specific zoom
setting without having to go through the process of zooming in and out.
With ArcMap you can easily set a bookmark to a location and assign to it a
specific name that will help you remember it:

► Create a new bookmark

□ Zoom (or pan) to display Enschede Downtown in your Map window.

Fig. 2.9:
Zooming to the centre
of Enschede

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 47

2.3 Moving around the map

□ Click the View Menu, point to Bookmarks, and click Create

Fig. 2.10:
Creating a new
bookmark

□ A dialog window appears. Type the name of the bookmark: for example:
‘Downtown Enschede’ and click OK.

Fig. 2.11:
Naming the new
bookmark

□ Now zoom to Full Extent [F].

You can use your newly created bookmark to zoom exactly to the zoom level you
had when you created the bookmark.

□ From the View menu, point to Bookmarks.

Note that the newly created bookmark now appears as an option of the
submenu.

□ Click on ‘Downtown Enschede’.

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

The display that was showing when you created the bookmark will appear in the
Map window.

Removing a spatial bookmark:

If you do not want to make use of the bookmark you created, you can remove it.

► Remove a bookmark

□ Click the View menu, point to Bookmarks, and click Manage

Fig. 2.12:
Opening the Manage
bookmark option

□ In the dialog window, highlight the bookmark you want to remove by

clicking on it (in our case ‘Downtown Enschede’)

□ Click Remove and then close the dialog window.

Fig. 2.13:
Removing the
‘Downtown Enschede’
bookmark

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 49

2.3 Moving around the map

Data view and layout view

There are two different ways to view your map: Data view and Layout view.
Data view is used for displaying, exploring, selecting and analysing data.
Most of the time, when modelling geodata with ArcMap you will be using the
Data View mode.
Layout view is used to show the map as it would be printed on paper. Be-
sides displaying the geodata, in the Layout view you can add all the items that
complete your map, like title, legend, text, scale bars, north arrow etc.

► There are several ways you can switch from Data view to Layout
view:

□ You can select the Layout View option from the View menu

Fig. 2.14:
Switching from Data
view to Layout view

□ Or click the Layout View in the toolbar at the bottom of the Map
window

▐ Note that either ways you can switch back to Data View using the Data
View option. Now the display shows your map as if on a paper page. By
default the orientation of the paper is Portrait. Like in any other Windows
program, you can change the orientation as well as other characteristics of
the paper.

□ Open the File menu, click Page and Print Setup...

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

Fig. 2.15:
Opening the Page and
Print Setup dialog.

□ In the popup window [1] click on the checkbox Use Printer Paper
Settings to ensure that what you see on the screen matches what you
will see once you print the map.

Fig. 2.16:
The Page and Print
Setup dialog window.

□ Click [2] on the radio button Landscape in the Paper characteristics

area.

□ Click on OK and orientation of the page in the layout view will change
to landscape.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 51

2.3 Moving around the map

Fig. 2.17:
The Layout view with
landscape paper
orientation.

▐ Note that while the paper has switched to landscape you still have a
‘portrait’box around your map. The box represents the Data Frame, the
area of your sheet of paper which is reserved to display map elements.
You can select the Data Frame box, resize it and move it anywhere you
like on the page.
Remember that the Layout View displays your map exactly how it would
appear on paper. When resizing and/or moving your Data Frame, consider
leaving some space on the paper for the other elements of the map (e.g. title,
legend, scale ruler, north arrow etc.).

► Switch back to Data View

□ Open the View menu and click Data View,

or

□ Click on the Data View button in the toolbar at the bottom of the Map
Window.

The Table of Contents

The Table of Contents provides information on the content of your map and the
symbols used to represent it. Besides providing information, the Table of Contents
provides the means to change the content and representation of your map.
We have seen that the data is organized in layers, which contain different
types of information. In your current map you have 5 layers: e_mainroads, e_
railway, e_water, e_businessarea, e_boundary.

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

► Managing layer properties and characteristics

When you right-click on the name of a layer, a popup menu will show the options
that are available to the users to manage individual layers.

□ Right-click on the e_mainroads layer to show the various options.

Notice that there are a number of options available. Most of them will be introduced
later in the course, for the time being select the Properties... option

Fig. 2.18:
The Layer option
popup menu. The
last option of the
menu opens the
Layer Property dialog
window.

The e_mainroads Layer Properties dialog window open.

Fig. 2.19:
The Layer?s property
dialog window

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 53

2.3 Moving around the map

In this dialog window you can set a number of properties for the selected layer.
Many of the options available will be discussed later in the course.

□ Check the information in each of the tabs at the top of the dialog
window.

□ When you are done press the Cancel button.

▐ You can also access the Layer Properties dialog by double-clicking on the
name of the layer.

Layers are drawn one on top of the other, in a sequence defined by the order in
which they are shown in the Table of Contents; first the one at the bottom and
then the one at the top.
As layers are drawn, they can hide features of previously drawn layers.
To make sure you see the features you want in your map, you may need to re-
arrange the sequence in which layers are displayed.

► Change the layer display order

□ In the Table of Contents, click and hold on the name of the layer e_
boundary.

□ Start dragging towards the top of the Table of Contents. You will notice
that, as you move, a black line will follow the movement of the mouse.
The line indicates the insertion point of the layer.

Fig. 2.20:
Rearranging the
display order of the
layers in the Table of
Contents.

□ Once the black line is at the top of the Table of Contents, release the
mouse button.

The layer e_boundary is at the top of the Table of Contents, it is the last layer
drawn on your display, and therefore covers all the features of the other layers.

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

Fig. 2.21:
Map windows showing
the result of moving
the e_boundary layer
to the top of the list

□ In the Table of Contents, drag the layer e_boundary down to the position
in between e_water and e_railway.

The e_boundary layer hides the water layer and the business area layer.

□ Drag the e_boundary layer back to its original position (at the end of
the list).

In general, to show data effectively, you should respect the following display
order: first you display polygon feature, then lines and finally points. Thus in the
Table of Contents you will want to have points at the top, polygons at the bottom
and lines in between.

► Turn on/off the visualization of a layer

□ In the table of content, click on the box next to a layer’s name to uncheck
it.

The data is still available in the map, but is not shown in the display.

□ Click the checkbox to switch the visualization back on.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 55

2.3 Moving around the map

► Change the colour used to display a layer

□ In the Table of Contents, click in the gray legend box belonging to the
layer e_businessarea.

Fig. 2.22:
Clicking on the symbol
to access the Symbol
Selector dialog window

□ The Symbol Selector window opens

Fig. 2.23:
The symbol Selector
dialog window

□ In this window, you can change the representation of the symbol

associated with the features of this layer. Select a different colour from
the colour boxes provided and click OK.

► Add a layer to the map

[G] □ Click the Add Data button on the Standard toolbar [G]

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Fig. 2.24:
Adding data to the map

□ The Add Data dialog window opens. Navigate to the folder with the
exercise data on the M:\ drive (e.g. Exercise02-->ArcMapIntro)

□ Open the Large_Enschede.mdb file. Open the ?Large_Enschede_data_

set?. Click on the layer: e_roads and then press Add. The e_roads layer
will be added to your map.

When ArcCatalog is opened, you also can add data by dragging the data layer
from ArcCatalog and dropping it in the Map window of ArcMap

► Remove a data layer from your map

□ In the Table of Contents, right-click the layer e_roads to show the

Options menu and click Remove. The data layer will be removed from
your map.

Fig. 2.25:
Removing a layer from
the map

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 57

2.3 Moving around the map

Explore the data in your map

Information about the data cannot always be explored simply by looking at a

map. Many times you will need to find out information about specific features
and examine the attributes of a layer.

► Identify features

[H] □ Click the Identify button on the Tools toolbar [H]

□ Click on the feature you want to get information for. (e.g. the bigger
business area at the left of the map)

By default, the Identify Results window displays the information derived from
the attribute table of the top most layer in the map.

Fig. 2.26:
Identify the features in
a map

► Change the focus of the Identify tool

In the Identify Results window, using the Layers dropdown list, you can change
the layer which will get the focus of your enquiry.

Notice that at the top of the list there are some generic options:
<Top-most layer> Only the attributes of the feature you clicked on from the
top-most layer are displayed
<Visible Layers> The attributes of all the feature under the mouse cursor,
from all the layers that have the visibility checkbox
enabled, are displayed
<Selectable Layers> The attributes of all the feature under the mouse cursor,
from all the layers that are currently selectable (see
paragraph ‘Selecting Features’ and figures 2.29 and 2.30),

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are displayed
<All Layers> The attributes of all the feature under the mouse cursor,
from all the layers in your Map document, are displayed

At the end of the dropdown list you find all of the layers that you currently have
loaded in your map document, which enables you to focus your enquiry on one
specific layer as needed.

□ Click on the Layers dropdown arrow to select the layer of interest.

Select Visible layers

Fig. 2.27:
Change the layer that
will receive the focus of
the Identify tool

□ With the new settings, identify more features.

□ When you are done identifying features, close the Identify Results
window.

► View all the attributes of the data in a layer

□ In the table of contents, right-click on e_businessarea to show the

Options menu and click Open Attribute Table. The attribute table of
the layer opens. (Fig. 2.28)

□ The options available in ArcCatalog to enhance the user?s ability to

investigate tabular data are valid also in ArcMap. Try them out! (If you
don’t remember how, refer back to Exercise 1).

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 59

2.3 Moving around the map

□ Once you are done exploring the available options, close the attribute
[I] table by clicking on the close button [I] in the upper right corner of the
Attributes window.

Fig. 2.28:
Attributes table window

Selecting Features

Selecting groups of feature is one of the most used functions in a GIS. ArcMap
offers a number of ways to select features from the data set.
You can select features in your map interactively by clicking on them or by
drawing a box that encompasses all the features you want to select.
Alternatively you can also select features in the map by checking the
attributes in their attribute table. Later in the course you?ll also learn to build
queries to select features based on specific criteria.

► Interactive selection

□ From the main menu, click Selection and click Set Selectable Layers...

Fig. 2.29:
Opening the Set
Selectable Layers
dialog

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□ In the Set Selectable Layers dialog window, switch off all the layers
except the Water layer. Then close the dialog window.

Fig. 2.30:
Choosing selectable
layers

□ Click the Select Features tool. [J] [I]

□ Click the water feature you want to select. Notice that the feature?s
outline turns to light blue to show it is currently selected.

□ Try selecting another feature. Notice that as you click on other water
features, the last one you clicked on will be selected (will have the light
blue outline) while the previous ones will revert to non-selected state.

▐ Note that if you click at a location where no features are present, the one
previously selected will be deselected and no features will be selected.

□ If you want to add features to your selection, hold down the Shift key
of your keyboard while clicking on the features.

□ Try to select some features in other layers by changing the selectable

layer and then make the selections.

► Interactive selection of records in an attribute table

□ Open the attribute table of the e_businessarea layer (Hint: if you don’t
remember how to open the attribute table of a layer see the explanation
above Fig. 2.28).

□ Select a feature in the table by clicking at the left of a record. As you can
see the selection is highlighted both in the table and in the map.

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2.4 Rendering Data

Fig. 2.31:
Selecting features
through the attribute
table

□ To select additional features, hold down the Ctrl key of your keyboard
and click at the left of records in the attribute table.

□ If you want to deselect one of the selected features, click on its record
while holding the Ctrl key pressed.

► Deselecting features

□ To deselect all features at once from all layers that have an active
selection you can use the Clear Selected Features option in the Selection
menu.

 To learn more about the Basics of ArcMap, refer to the Help menu:
ArcGIS Desktop Help, on the Contents tab: ArcMap, Getting started
with ArcMap.

2.4 Rendering Data

When you add a layer to a map, ArcMap by default draws all its features with the
same symbol automatically selected by the software. You may want to change the
symbols used to display your data to make it more understandable.

Drawing a layer using a single symbol

In some circumstances using the same symbol for all the features in a layer may
be sufficient. Nevertheless, for the sake of clarity, you may want to decide which
symbol to use.

► Change Symbology - single symbol

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□ Open the Layer Properties dialog box for the e_boundary (Hint: refer
back figure 2.18 if you need a refresher on how to open the Layer
Property dialog window)

□ In the Layer properties window, click the Symbology tab

Fig. 2.32:
Changing symbols
from the Layer
Properties dialog
window

▐ Notice that under Show the Features --> Single symbol option is highlighted.
This means that all features in the layer are displayed using the same
symbol.

□ Click the big grey button in the Symbol area to change the symbol
characteristics

▐ Notice that the Symbol Selector dialog box that opens is the same one already
shown in Fig. 2.23. As you did then, you can simply select a symbol to show
the extent of the Enschede municipality.

□ Alternatively you can also change specific properties of the symbol

using the Options pane. Try some possibilities. (Fig. 2.33)

▐ Note that as you change the symbol, the Preview pane will show the symbol
that will be used to display the features once you hit the OK button. At
any time, pressing the Reset button will restore the symbol to its original
parameters.

You may want to have an even higher degree of control of the symbol.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 63

2.4 Rendering Data

Fig 2.33:
Detail of the Options
pane in the Symbol
Selector dialog window

□ Click the Properties... button to open the Symbol Property Editor dialog
window. In this dialog you can change the individual components that
make up the symbol.

Fig. 2.34:
Symbol Property Editor

□ Try defining the symbol characteristic to look like the one shown here.

▐ Hint: Area symbols are made up of at least two parts: the fill and the outline.
To obtain a dotted line you will need to modify the properties of the outline
part

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□ When you are happy with the characteristics of the new symbol, close
all the consecutive dialog windows by clicking on their respective OK
buttons.

□ Once you are back to the Layer Properties window, click the Apply
button to apply your changes and continue working with the Layer
Properties window. Or click the OK button to apply changes and close
the Layer Properties window.

In the Map window, if the show/hide checkbox of the e_boundary layer is checked,
you will see that the symbol you just defined is used to display the features of the
e_boundary layer.

Unique value symbology

Many times the using a single symbol to display all the features in a layer does not
convey sufficient information. For instance you may want to select the colour of a
feature based on the specific characteristics of that feature.

► Change symbology - unique values

First, you have to explore the attribute table to see which values can be used to
display the business areas;

□ Open the e_businessarea Attribute Table (Hint: refer to the explanation

above Fig. 2.28 if you need further information on how to open the
Attribute Table).

▐ Notice that the different areas all have a name (field: Name2_). Let?s use this
field to define the symbols used to display the Business Areas.

□ You can now close the attribute table.

□ Open the Symbology tab of the e_businessarea Layer Properties dialog

window. (Hint: refer to the previous section to find out where to find
and how to open the Symbology tab) (Fig. 2.35)

□ To instruct the system to use different colours for each feature based
on their attributes, select Categories --> Unique Values [1] in the Show
pane. Notice that the rest of the dialog window changes.

□ From the Value field drop-down box, [2 ] select Name2_. Now click on
Add All Values [3 ].

▐ Note that each name is now associated to a specific colour which will be used
to represent the features with that name once you apply the changes.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 65

2.4 Rendering Data

Fig. 2.35:
Defining the symbols
based on the feature
attributes

Fig. 2.36:
Symbols defined by
category

► Change the symbol associated to one or more headings.

□ Simply double-clicking in the colour box next to name. Following exactly

the same process outlined earlier in this exercise, you can change any
property of the symbol associated with anyone of the names.

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□ Once you are satisfied with all the symbols click the Apply button to
apply your changes and continue working with the Layer Properties
window. Or click the OK button to apply changes and close the Layer
Properties window.

In your Map window the features of the E_businessarea layer are displayed
according to the symbols you have defined. Note also that in the Table of Contents
you have a complete list of the new symbols associated with the name of the
business area they now represent.

□ Check the table of contents of the other layers: water, railway and main
roads. Are there any fields that are suitable to display categories? If yes,
try defining the appropriate symbols. If no, change the unique symbol
to match you liking.

□ Alternatively try using the other options (Quantities, Charts etc.) under
the Show pane in the Symbology tab of the Layer Properties dialog
window. For example, data representing areas can be symbolized
quantitatively by using graduated colours, graduated symbols or
proportional symbols.

As you try out various combinations of symbols, you will notice that some
combinations make your map unreadable. At a later stage in the course you
will be introduced to a number of cartographic visualization rules which try to
ensure that the symbols used to represent features are readable and convey the
appropriate information to the user.

 To learn more about the Symbolization, refer to the Help menu: Help
contents, ArcMap, Symbolizing your data.

 Details about representing data can also be found in the book:’Principles

of Geographic information systems’, chapter 7: ‘Data Visualization’We
have seen at the beginning that Map Documents contain the links to the
geodata sets plus all of the information needed to represent them.

2.5 Working with map documents

When you make changes to your document during an ArcMap session, most of
the times you change the representation of the data.
You can keep the changes you have made for future use by saving the Map
Document. This will overwrite the original settings in the document with the new
ones.
Alternatively you may want to save your new representation of the data
without losing the previous settings. You can save your changes in a new Map
Document.

► Store your map representation in a new map

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 67

2.5 Working with map documents

□ From the File menu, select Save as

Fig. 2.37:
The Save As? option in
the File menu

□ In the Save As window, browse to your M:/drive and navigate to the

exercise data folder (e.g. Exercise02-->ArcMapIntro)

□ In the File Name text box, remove the file name displayed (Intro_to_
Arcmap.mxd) and type a new name for the file.

Fig. 2.38:
The Save As dialog
window

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 Exercise 2. Introduction to ArcMAP

□ Click the Save button.

The map is saved with a new name. Note that the name shown in the Title bar of
the ArcMap window now reflects the new name.

► Open the previous map

□ From the File menu, select Open?

□ Browse to your M: drive, navigate to the Exercise 2 data folder, select

the file Intro_to_Arcmap.mxd, and click Open

The original map will be opened.

► Open the new modified map

□ From the File menu, select Open?

□ Browse to the folder on the M: drive where you placed the new map,
select it and click Open

The modified map will be opened.

► Open a different map document

□ From the File menu, select Open...

□ Browse to the folder Exercise02--> DataTypes on the M: drive

□ Select the ArcMap document ?Data types.mxd? and click Open

▐ In case you changed something in your map, ArcMap will ask you if you
would like to save the current map.

2.6 Different data types

The ArcMap document that you just opened contains data layers representing
6 geographic phenomena: elevation, administrative boundaries, built up areas,
spatial policy plan, spectral radiance, and transportation network.

Identify geographic phenomena

Data layers are computer representation of actual phenomena occurring on

the earth surface. It is important to be able to match the data layers with the
phenomena that they represent.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 69

2.6 Different data types

 Refer to the section 2.1 on ‘Geographic phenomena’ in the textbook

Fig. 2.39 ‘Principles of GIS’.
The data layers in the
‘Data types’ ArcMap  Explore data layers.
document
► Check the display check box (to the left of each layer) to visualise the
layers (figure 2.40).

□ Investigate the nature of each layer by zooming and panning through

the data.

Fig. 2.40:
Display layers

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 Question 2.1
Discuss with your colleagues what geographic phenomena each of the
seven layers represent and identify the data type of the layer. You can fill in
the information in the table below.

Geographic Type of Only for field Layer (or layers)

phenomena Phenomena phenomena name
(Field, Object) (continuous or
discrete)

Elevation

Transportation
network
Administrative
boundaries
Spectral
Radiance
Spatial policy
plan
Built up areas

Identify computer representation of a phenomena

Interestingly, you have realised that the same phenomenon can be represented
with different data type. Let?s investigate the type of data that were used to store
the information in the various layers.

 Refer to the section 2.2 on ‘Computer representation of geographic

information’ in the textbook ‘Principles of GIS’.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 71

2.7 Getting Help

 Question 2.2
Discuss with your colleagues what computer representation is used to
represent the geographic phenomena of each of the seven layers.

Computer representation

Vector Tessellation
Layer name Point Line Area Regular Irregular

Height point

Centre lines

Neighborhood

Buildings

Land Use Planning

Ikonos satellite
image

Height

 Question 2.3
Some of the above layers are Tessellations. Can you write an alternative (or
more descriptive) name for its computer representation?

2.7 Getting Help

ArcMap provides several ways to help you figure out how to best take advantage
of the many functions available.

► Using the short descriptions of the buttons and menu options

When you move the mouse pointer on a button or on a menu option a brief
description of the functions performed by the option is displayed in the status bar
of the ArcMap window.

□ Open a menu and move the mouse pointer on the various options.
Notice how in the lower left corner of the ArcMap window a brief

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description of what the option does is displayed.

□ Move the mouse pointer on the buttons of the toolbars. Notice that the
Status bar displays a brief description of the command.

□ If you need to find out the name of a button on a toolbar, move the
mouse pointer on the button and leave it there for a few seconds. A
popup window with the name of the button will appear.

► Use ‘What’s this?’ help

The ‘What’s this?’ button provides a quick way to access basic information on
buttons, commands, and menu options.

□ Click the ’What’s this?’ button in the Standard toolbar [K] [K]

□ Click on any button or menu item in the ArcMap program window.

□ A popup window will provide the basic explanation of what the specific
tool does.

□ Click anywhere in the ArcMap window to close the popup window.

► Use Help menu topics

For more in depth understanding of each command as well as to understand the

principals on which ArcMap and, more in general, all GIS packages work, you
may want to access one of the many resources available under the Help menu.
The ArcGIS Desktop Help option allows you to consult the help files.

□ Click the Help menu and click ArcGis Desktop Help

□ The Contents tab will show the help information organised by

chapters

□ The Index tab shows the help topics by key word. In the textbox at
the top of the frame you can type the keyword of the subject you are
interested in

□ The Search allows you to perform free text searches in the help
documentation. In the textbox at the top of the frame you can type the
words or sentence you are interested in.

□ To read about specific topic under anyone of the three tabs, double click
on its heading.

► Use Online resources

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 73

2.8 Summary

Directly from the Help menu you can access a number of web sites which can help
you understand the basics of GIS and the specific of ArcMap.

□ Try the ESRI Virtual Campus link.

□ Click the Help menu, select the ESRI Training and click on Virtual
campus and click ArcGis Desktop Help

Fig 2.41:
Extra training
□ In the Virtual Campus web page, register as a new user by following
the Create Global Account link.

□ The registration is free and gives access to the Virtual Campus web site
where you?ll find a few free tutorials.

2.8 Summary
In this exercise you learned the basics of ArcMap: how to start the application and
open a Map Document, how to move around the map and explore your data, how
to define basic symbology for your map and where to find additional help when
you require it.
Remember that the goal of this exercise is to get you started and not to cover
all the functionalities and tools of ArcMap.
While the most basic functions where highlighted there is a lot more to be
discovered. Good search!!!

2.9 Challenges

► Challenge:

Try to discover more about ArcMap (as much as you can) using the above
listed methods to get Online Help.

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Exercise 3

Data Entry and Management

Topics:

Personal Geodatabase: File structure of Personal Geodatabase and topology of

Personal Geodatabase
Manage Personal Geodatabase: Create Personal Geodatabase, Transfer
Feature classes, create new feature classes
Data entry: Add spatial and attribute data to feature classes
Topology in a Geodatabase

3.1 Introduction
In this exercise you are going to learn how spatial and attribute data is stored in
GIS. Then you will practice how to enter spatial and attribute data into a GIS.
During this practical you will work with a ‘Personal Geodatabase’. A ‘Personal
Geodatabase’ is a database that stores geographic information. It is a new data
model that was introduced by ESRI in the ArcGIS software.

▐ There are two types of Geodatabases, the Personal Geodatabase and the large
(ArcSDE) Geodatabase. Personal Geodatabase stores data in MS Access
database. The large Geodatabase stores data in a separate Oracle, SQL
server, Informix or DB2 database that is connected to ArcGIS via ArcSDE
(Spatial data engine). In this course we will only work with the Personal
Geodatabase.

In this exercise you will:

● Explore an existing Geodatabase and look at the data structure of the
Geodatabase.
● Create and manage a Geodatabase.
● Validate the topology within a Geodatabase.
● Add simple spatial (points, lines or polygons) and attribute data to
Geodatabase by using various techniques.

The time required to complete these exercises is 120 minutes.

75
3.1 Introduction

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course
03: Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 3: Data entry and
Management/Exercise data.

► Copy the ‘dataentryex’ folder to your personal directory.

Data entry and management

Data entry and management are tasks that complement all GIS work. Data has to
be entered and stored in a proper digital format (in the computer) to apply any
GIS analysis. Different methods are used for data input. Data can be recorded
directly from the field in a digital format by using devices as Global Positioning
Systems (GPS) and Satellite Imagery. Data also can be input from analogue format
(hard copy) by mean of digitising or scanning.
Spatial data and its attributed data are stored in the computer in different
ways depending on the GIS software in which it was created. However most
commonly it is arranged in the form of tables.

 Refer to chapter 5 of the Principles of GIS ITC Textbook!

Shortcut:

1. Explore an existing Geodatabase and look at the data structure of the

Geodatabase.
2. Create a new Geodatabase, a new feature dataset and copy and ex-port
feature classes into this new feature dataset.
3. Validate the topology within the Geodatabase “additional data”.
4. Add missing building polygons to an existing feature class (buildings)
and their attribute data by using various editing techniques (e.g. Auto-
Complete Polygon.
5. Create a new point feature class and digitise bus stops.

Toolbars

In this exercise you will use both ArcCatalog and ArcMap. You can work with both
applications simultaneously (having both opened in the desktop) however it is
recommended for students who are not quite familiar with windows applications
to only open one application (ArcCatalog or ArcMap) at a time.

▐ When editing a feature class within ArcMap, always close ArcCatalog and
vice versa.

Below you see the interface elements that you will use quite often during the
following exercises:

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 Exercise 3. Data Entry and Management

Fig. 3.1:
Toolbars and catalog
tree

Fig. 3.2:
Editor toolbar

From the Editor Toolbar you can select under More Editing Tools the Topology
toolbar:

Fig. 3.3:
Topology toolbar

3.2 The Geodatabase

Explore personal Geodatabase

► Explore an existing Personal Geodatabase called ‘ITCwest’

□ Open ArcCatalog by double clicking on the ArcCatalog icon on the

desktop or open it from the start menu.

□ Use the Connect to Folder [A] button to connect to the ‘dataentryex’

folder. [A]

□ Expand ‘ITCwest’ Personal Geodatabase in the Catalog tree (personal

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 77

3.2 The Geodatabase

Geodatabase is symbolised as a barrel icon). You can expand folders in

the Catalog tree by clicking on the small + icon next to the folder icon.

Fig. 3.4:
Catalog tree You are expected to see the following in your Catalog tree:

In the Catalog tree under the ‘dataentryex’ folder you should see a barrel icon that
represents a Personal Geodatabase. The concept “Geodatabase” can be simply
explained as a container (database) that stores data. Inside the Geodatabase you
can see two feature classes (roads and buildings). Feature classes are collections
of geographic features that share the same geometry type (point, line or polygon),
attributes and spatial reference. Physically feature class information is stored in a
collection of tables inside the database.

► Now you will preview the “itc_geodatabase”

□ Click on the ‘buildings’ feature class in the Catalog tree. Then click on
the Preview tab.

You will see the spatial representation of the building blocks in the area just to the
west of ITC.

 Question 3.1
Look carefully at this data and answer
How many polygons does this feature class have?

Now you will view the Table that stores building’s feature class information.

□ Select Table instead of Geography on the Preview dropdown menu at

the bottom left of the Preview tab.

You should see the table that stores the polygon features of the ‘buildings’ feature
class. Each polygon feature is represented by a row (record) in this table. The
spatial representation of buildings (X,Y coordinates that represent the polygon
geometry) is stored in the “shape” field. Other attribute information (e.g. ID, Area,
length, type) is stored in additional fields.

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 Exercise 3. Data Entry and Management

 Question 3.2
What is the attributed data to the buildings in the ‘buildings’ feature class?

 Question 3.3
Count the number of records in the table.

Is the number of records in the table equal to the number of polygons that
you counted before?

Yes - No .

Can you explain why?

 Question 3.4

Use the previous steps to explore the geometry and the table of the ‘roads’
feature.

a. What is the geometry type of the ‘roads’ feature class?

b. From the geometry preview, how many geometric features (polygons,

lines or points) exist in this ‘roads’ feature class?

c. From the table preview, how many records exist in the ‘roads’ feature
class table?

d. Is the number of records in the table equal to the number of geometric

features that you counted before? Yes - No . Can you explain why?

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 79

3.2 The Geodatabase

► Close ArcCatalog.

▐ Understanding the file structure of Personal Geodatabase (this exercise is

only meant for course paticipants who attended the database module)!

The Personal Geodatabase is a relational database that contains tables to store different
spatial and attribute classes (entities). For example you can have a table for road
features, another table containing land parcels …etc. The Personal Geodatabase that
we saw in the previous section was originally a Microsoft Access Database.

▐ The Personal Geodatabases can be read by multiple users but only edited by
one and its maximum size is 2GB. Personal Geodatabase are useful for storing
comparatively small datasets. There is another type of Geodatabase, Multi-
user Geodatabase that can store large datasets and provide the capability of
multi-user editing. However in these exercises we will only use the Personal
Geodatabase.

In this section we will explore the ‘ITCwest’ Personal Geodatabase by using

Microsoft Access. This will give you a better understanding on how spatial data
can be stored and managed in a GIS.

► Open “ITCwest” in Microsoft Access

□ Open Microsoft Access by clicking on the Microsoft Access icon on the

desktop or select it from the start menu.

□ From File menu select Open. Open window will appear. Navigate to
the ‘dataentryex’ folder and select ITCwest.mdb file and click Open.

□ Click on the tables tab to see the tables that ‘ITCwest’ database
contains.

The ITCwest Geodatabase is now opened in MS Access. The computer screen

should look familiar now for the participants who attended the database
module.

□ Open buildings and roads tables.

You will find that the Personal Geodatabase is a simple MS Access relational
database where the geometry of spatial features and their attributes are stored
in tables. You will also find other tables in the Personal Geodatabase that contain
information on different properties of the database (e.g. spatial extents of feature
classes, relations between the classes).

▐ Note that Personal Geodatabase is just one possibility to store spatial

and attribute data. Other GIS applications use different file types to store
geographic data. And now most GIS software can exchange different file
types.

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 Exercise 3. Data Entry and Management

► Close Microsoft Access.

Fig. 3.5:
ITCwest database in
Microsoft Access

Managing Personal Geodatabase

For a better data management it is more appropriate to store all relevant data in
one Geodatabase. However, sometimes you might need to make a subset of your
data (e.g. if you want to give a colleague or a customer a spatial layer from your
Geodatabase). In this case you have to make a new Geodatabase and copy feature
classes from the original Geodatabase to the new Geodatabase.

► Create a new Personal Geodatabase

□ In the Catalog tree right click on ‘dataentryex’. The context menu

will appear, choose New, another menu will appear and there choose
Personal Geodatabase.

□ A new personal Geodatabase icon will appear in the Catalog tree

with a default name ‘New Personal Geodatabase.mdb’ select the new
Geodatabase and from File menu choose Rename. Name the new
Geodatabase as ‘myITC’ (see figure below).

Fig. 3.6:
New Personal
Geodatabase in
Catalog tree

As you see the new Personal Geodatabase has no + icon to the left of it which
means that it is empty.

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3.2 The Geodatabase

► Transfer ‘buildings’ and ‘roads’ feature classes from ‘ITCwest’ to your

new Personal Geodatabase

□ Make sure that the ‘ITCwest’ is expanded in the Catalog tree.

□ In the Catalog tree right click on ‘buildings’ feature class. A menu will
appear, choose Copy.

□ Right click on ‘myITC’ Personal Geodatabase. A menu will appear,

choose Paste. Confirmation window named Data Transfer will appear,
click OK on the window.

□ Expand ‘myITC’ in the Catalog tree.

You will find that the ‘buildings’ feature class was transferred from ‘ITCwest’
Personal Geodatabase to ‘myITC’ Personal Geodatabase.

► Repeat the same process to transfer the ‘roads’ feature class to your new
Personal Geodatabase.

▐ Now you can see that ‘buildings’ and ‘roads’ feature classes are directly
located under the ‘myITC’ Geodatabase. This type of feature class is called
stand-alone feature class. Each stand-alone feature class can have its own
independent spatial reference (coordinate system and geographic location).
If you have several feature classes that share the same spatial reference then
you can group them into a feature dataset, however you cannot group feature
classes with different spatial reference in one dataset. Storing feature classes
in a dataset enables the topological integrity between these feature classes as
will be discussed later in the exercise.

In this part you will create a new feature dataset inside ‘myITC’ personal
Geodatabase, export the stand alone feature classes to this data set and delete the
stand alone.

► Create a feature data set

□ Right click on ‘myITC’ Personal Geodatabase. A menu will appear,

choose New then Feature Dataset. ‘Feature dataset’ window will open.
Write ‘my-itc-dataset‘ in the Name textbox.

□ To define the spatial reference of the new dataset clicking the Edit button.
You will find the button in the bottom right part of the window. (You
will learn more on spatial reference in the map projection exercise).

□ Click Import button, a browser window will appear. Browse your

folders until you reach ‘myITC’ Geodatabase, select ‘buildings’ feature
class and click Add button. Now you can see the details of the coordinate
system in the Details box.

□ Click Ok to the Spatial Reference Properties window then click Ok in

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the feature dataset window.

□ Expand the ‘myITC’ Geodatabase in case it is not expanded.

Fig. 3.7:
My-itc-dataset

Now you should see the new dataset under ‘myITC’ Personal Geodatabase:

► Export ‘buildings’ and ‘roads’ feature classes to ‘my-itc-dataset‘

dataset

□ Right click on ‘building’ feature class. A menu will appear, choose Export
- to Geodatabase (single). ‘Feature class to Feature class’ window will
open (see figure below). (By using the option Export to Geodatabase
(multiple) it is possible to export several feature classes at once.)

□ Select the folder button to the right of the Output location text box and a
browser will open. Browse your folders until you reach ‘my-itc-dataset’,
select it and click Open.

□ Write ‘my_buildings’ in the Output Feature Class Name textbox.

□ Click Ok!

□ Repeat the same process for the ‘roads’ feature class

Fig. 3.8:
Export feature class to
Geodatabase window

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3.3 Data entry and editing

After the completion of this process you will be able to see the exported feature
classes in ‘my-itc-dataset‘ dataset (see figure below):

Fig. 3.9:
The exported feature
classes in ‘my-itc-
dataset‘ dataset

□ Delete the ‘buildings’ and ‘roads’ feature classes in ‘myITC’ Personal

Geodatabase.

□ Right click on ‘buildings‘ feature class. A menu will appear, choose

Delete. A confirmation window will appear, click OK.

□ Repeat the same process for the ‘roads’ feature class.

3.3 Data entry and editing

Digitise new polygon building blocks to the buildings feature class.

By putting the ‘buildings’ feature class on top of a satellite image of the same area
it can be seen that not all the buildings visible in the satellite image within the
ITC west area (the area bounded by the dashed thick lines in figure below) are
included in ‘buildings’ feature class. In this section you will open this satellite
image as a background layer in ArcMap and on screen digitise all the remaining
building blocks to the ‘buildings’ feature class.

Fig. 3.10:
View shows a satellite
image for the area (the
delineation of ITC west
area) and the existing
building blocks in the
‘building’ feature class

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In order to open two layers (feature class, image etc.) of the same area
on top of each other they should have the same spatial reference. Refer
to Spatial Referencing section in the Principles of GIS text book (chapter
4).

► Open ArcMap and display your data

□ In ArcCatalog press the launch ArcMap button. Check the New Empty
Map button in the ArcMap start window.

□ Close ArcCatalog.

□ Use Add Data button to add the ‘buildings’ and ‘roads’ feature class
and the ‘subaps98_rectified’ satellite image to the map. You will find
the image in ‘dataentryex’ folder.

□ Maximize the size of ArcMap window.

□ Use zooming tools to zoom to the extent shown in figure 3.10.

□ In ArcMap from the View menu choose Toolbar and check the Editor
toolbar. Now you will see editor toolbar with the rest of the activated
toolbars (see figure below).

□ In the Editor toolbar click the Editor button and choose Start Editing.
Now you can see that most of the tools in the editor toolbar are
activated.

Fig. 3.11:
Editor toolbar
Now you should see the following illustrated on your computer screen:

Fig. 3.12:
Satellite image and
‘building’ feature class
displayed in ArcMap

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3.3 Data entry and editing

► Start digitising

□ Make sure that ‘buildings’ feature class is the target layer. If not then
choose buildings from the Target dropdown menu.

□ Make sure that the task displayed on Task drop down menu is Create
New Feature.

□ Zoom in to the extent illustrated in the figure below.

[B] □ On the Editor toolbar, Click the Sketch Tool button [B] and start
digitizing the two adjacent buildings that are not included in ‘buildings’
feature class. Draw polygons by clicking at the consecutive vertices
of the polygon and double click to add the last vertex and finish the
polygon (see figure below).

□ Perform the same operation for the second polygon.

Fig. 3.13:
Drawing new polygon

After the completion of the two polygons, visually try to check if the shared
boundaries of the polygons are completely on top of each other by zooming in to
the shared boundaries.

Are the shared boundaries completely adjacent? Yes / No

▐ Practically it is impossible to digitise points exactly on top of each other
without having some editing tool that helps to do this process. However in
the digitising process you should always maintain the consistency between
the spatial features. For example you cannot have two overlapping polygons
that represent land parcels, as land parcels cannot overlap. Another example,
if you are digitising a road network you cannot have two disconnected lines

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that represent a continuous road. ArcMap provides several tools to maintain

the consistency of data while digitising (e.g. ‘snapping’).

In the following section you will be asked to re-digitise the previously digitised
two polygons but this time you will use the snapping tool to ensure adjacency of
the polygons. Snapping allows you to start drawing from an exact location (e.g.
vertex or any location on an edge) of an existing feature. This tool is very helpful
in case of digitising connected features where a new digitised feature can be
snapped to the vertex, edge or end of another existing feature. Different snapping
tolerance can be assigned for snapping. The tolerance defines the distance within
the feature will be snapped. For example, if a snapping tolerance of 10 map units
is assigned: then whenever you digitise a vertex or point within this tolerance
distance (e.g. 8 map units) from an existing vertex the two vertices will be joined
(see illustration below).

Fig. 3.14:
Snapping of vertices

► Quit the editing mode without saving the previous changes.

□ In the Editor toolbar click the Editor button and choose Stop Editing,
the save window will open. In the save window choose No for saving
edits.

□ Set up snapping tool and redigitise the two polygons

□ Start editing!

□ Make sure that the ‘buildings’ layer is still selected in the Target
dropdown menu.

□ In the Editor toolbar click the Editor button and choose Snapping, a
new window will open. Check the Edge checkbox to the right of the
buildings (see figure below).

Fig. 3.15:
Snapping window

□ In the Editor toolbar click the Editor button and choose Options, a new
window will open. Click on General and Enter 8 in the Snapping Tolerance

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3.3 Data entry and editing

textbox and make sure that it is in map units (see figure below).

□ Use zoom in to the extent shown in figure 3.13.

Fig. 3.16:
Options Window

□ Use the Sketch Tool button to digitise the two polygons again.

Fig. 3.17:
Two adjacent polygons
with a complex non-
linear border

Snapping is a very useful tool in connecting features. However it is not the

optimum solution for digitising adjacent polygons (see figure below). For
adjacent polygons with non-linear shared boundaries you will have to digitise
the whole boundary twice, which is a time consuming process and subject to
many digitising errors.

For this reason you will redigitise the two polygons by using the Auto Complete
Polygon tool. Auto Complete Polygon tool allows you to draw adjacent polygons
without drawing the shared borders again.

□ Quit the editing mode without saving the previous changes!

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► Use the Auto Complete Polygon tool to re-digitise the two previously
digitised polygons

□ Start editing!

□ Make sure that the ‘buildings’ layer is still selected as Target.

□ In the Editor toolbar, from the Task dropdown menu select Auto-
Complete Polygon.

□ Select the Sketch Tool button then click on the meeting point between
the two buildings (point A or B), then digitise the polygon by clicking
on the consecutive vertices and final double-click when you reach the
other meeting point (point A or B) (see figure below).

□ Repeat the same process for the second polygon.

Fig. 3.18:
Auto complete
polygons

Now you will add attribute data (land use information) to the newly digitised
polygons

► Add attribute data

□ Use the Edit Tool [C] button to select one of the newly digitised polygons [C]
and click the Attributes button [D]. The Attribute window will open, in
that window click on the value field of landuse and type ‘commercial’ [D]
then close the window.

□ Use the Identify tool [E] on the new polygon and you will see that the [E]
land use attribute of this polygon became commercial.

▐ It is very easy to make data entry mistakes in entering attribute data. You
can enforce attribute data integrity in the Geodatabase by setting an attribute
domain. Attribute domains define the data that can be entered. There are two
types of attribute domains. The first is the range domain, which is mainly
used for numbers and it is defined by setting the minimum and maximum

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3.3 Data entry and editing

allowable number to be entered. For example if you enter building height

attributes it is possible to set a rule that you can only enter numbers in the
range between 1 and 10. The other possibility is the coded value domain in
which you can define a list of acceptable values. However for time limitations
this topic will not be dealt within this exercise.

Fig. 3.19:
Attributes window

► Use the previously practised editing tools to digitise all the missing
polygons and add their attributes. You could identify the land uses by
a field check!

► Quit the editing mode and save the previous changes

□ In the Editor toolbar click the Editor button and choose Stop Editing,
save window will open. In the save window choose Yes for saving
edits.

□ Save the ArcMap document in your personal folder.

Geodatabase Topology

Topology in a Geodatabase depends on coincident geometry. In coincident

geometry the coordinates of each feature are stored in the database (in a field
in the feature class table) and if a part of the geometry is shared between two
features then it will be stored twice, once with each feature. For example if two
polygons are adjacent then the geometry of the shared border is stored twice in
the Geodatabase.

 Refer to the Principles of GIS text book on area representation pp. 51

– 53 and answer the following question.

 Question 3.5
Identify which of the two topological models for area representation
described in the book best matches the description of the Geodatabase
topology:

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The previous version of ARC GIS (Version 8.3) introduced a new set of editing tools
that enable users to construct and maintain user-defined topological relationships
within a Geodatabase. (Until then topology was a feature of the ArcInfo coverage
data model). This new tool assists to analyse the topological integrity of data.
In many cases you might make a mistake in digitising or you might get a ready
dataset, which is not topological integrated. Topology offers a set of integrity
rules that defines the behaviour of spatially related geographic features, it enables
you e.g. to edit shared geometry or helps you to discover errors in the spatial
relationships based on rules you can set.
Let’s assume you have received a Geodatabase from somebody and you are
not certain if the data contain errors.

► First we will display the data of the new Geodatabase you have
received

□ Open the map document Topology.mxd in the folder ‘additional data’.

□ Zoom to the two adjacent building located west of ITC (see figure
below). You should see the small gap between the buildings, which is a
digitising error.

Fig. 3.20:
A case of topological
error (borders of two
adjacent polygons do
not coincide)
► Creating a new topology

□ Close ArcMap and open ArcCatalog.

□ Go to the Geodatabase named additional_data, expand it and right click

to the feature dataset Topography. Select New and Topology.

□ The New Topology window will open, than click Next. In the next
window enter the Name ‘Topology’ and for the Cluster Tolerance 0.09
(see figure below). (The cluster tolerance indicates the distance range
in which vertices are considered coincident, within this tolerance they
will snap together.) Than click Next.

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3.3 Data entry and editing

Fig. 3.21:
Cluster Tolerance

□ In the next window you have to Select All three feature classes (buildings,
roads and water areas) (see figure below). Than click Next.

□ Now you have to define the Ranks. The rank controls how much the
features in that class can be “moved” in relation to features in other
classes when the topology is validated (the higher the rank the less the
features will move during the validation process).

□ Enter 3 for the Number of Ranks and assign to the roads the rank 3, to
the buildings the rank 2 and to the water areas the rank 1. Than click
Next.

□ Now you will Create Rules for validating the topology. Click the button
Add Rule. For the first rule you will select the ‘buildings’ and define
that they ‘must not overlap’, than click Ok. For the second rule select
again the ‘buildings’ and define that they ‘must not overlap with’ the
‘water_areas’, click Ok. And than click Next. In the last window click
Finish.

□ Now the new topology will be created. In the window that appears
accept to validate the new topology, by clicking Yes.

□ The Topology is now stored in your Geodatabase.

Fig. 3.22:
Select Features
► After creating the topology we will investigate what has happened with
the data.

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□ Open ArcMap and add the before created topology to the map. Click
Yes in the window asking ‘adding all feature classes participating’ (now
the roads, buildings and water areas will be added).

□ The red areas in the display are indicating potential errors (see figure below).
Zoom in to the areas of the errors and try to understand the problems.

□ Zoom to the two adjacent buildings (figure 3.20). They do now coincide
because we have entered 0.09 for the cluster tolerance.

▐ The cluster tolerance has to be selected carefully. A big tolerance will cause
many vertices to snap together this can modify the shape of the features
completely.

Fig. 3.23:
Topological errors

► Now we will have a more detailed look to the errors

□ In the Editor toolbar click the Editor button and select Start editing. Go
again to the editor toolbar and choose More Editing Tools and select
Topology, the new Editing Tools will open.

□ Click on the Error Inspector button, a new window will open. Go to the
drop down menu right of Show and select ‘buildings must not overlap
with water areas’ (see figure below). Uncheck the button Visible Extend
Only. Click on the button Search Now.

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3.3 Data entry and editing

Fig. 3.24:
Error Inspector window

□ One error will appear in the list. Right click on the error in the list and
select zoom to (see figure below): you will see that one building was
accidentally digitised on a water area.

□ Now select the rule ‘Must be larger than the cluster tolerance’. You will
find two small polygons, which are smaller than the tolerance (they are
also errors).

[F] □ Select the Fix Topology Error Tool [F] and right click to the error, choose
from the menu Delete.

□ Try to correct the remaining errors (you could use the satellite image
for ground truth data).

Fig. 3.25:
Zoom to Error

Working with shared boundaries and vertices

As was mentioned earlier, Geodatabase depends on coincident topology, you can

see shared boundaries as one line but in reality they are two overlapped lines. In
case you want to change the shape of the boundary between two adjacent features
you will have to make exactly the same change to the shape of the two overlapped
boundaries. ArcGIS provides special tools to work with shared boundaries in a
way to keep the integrity of the geographic features.

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► Change the position of the boundary between the two adjacent buildings
shown in the figure below

□ Start editing.

□ Make sure that the ‘buildings’ layer (folder ‘additional_data’ containing

the built topology) is selected in the Target dropdown menu.

□ Zoom in to the two adjacent buildings (figure below) and make sure
that only these two buildings that now share the boundary are visible
in the map.

□ In the Editor toolbar click on Editor button, go to Moore Editing Tools

and select Topology, the new tools will appear (you do not have to
do it again if the Topology editing tools are still active from the last
exercise).

□ Click on the first tool Map Topology [G], select the building layer [G]
and enter 0.09 for the cluster tolerance and click OK. Now select the
Topology Edit Tool [H] then click on the boundary between the two
polygons, you will see that the colour of the boundary has changed to [H]
magenta (figure below).

□ Place the cursor exactly on the boundary and click the left button the
mouse. Keep the mouse button clicked and drag the boundary a little
bit to the west.

□ Stop editing and save the edits and close ARCMap and save your
ArcMap document.

Fig. 3.26:
Editing boundaries

Now you can see that the boundary lines of both features have moved together to
the new position.

Create a new point feature class for bus stops

Create a new point feature class for bus stops and use X,Y Coordinates to add bus
stops to (point features) to the feature class.
In this part you will create a new point feature class to store two bus stops
in the ITCwest area. Two main elements should be considered in the creation

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3.3 Data entry and editing

of a new feature class, the first is the shape type (point, line or polygon) and the
second is the spatial reference of the feature class (you will learn more on spatial
reference in the projection exercise).

▐ When creating a new feature class in a dataset the new feature class will take
the same spatial reference of the dataset by default. However spatial reference
has to be assigned to stand alone feature classes.

► Create new point feature class

□ Open ArcCatalog by double clicking on the ArcCatalog icon on the

desktop or from the start menu.

□ Make sure that ‘myITC’ Personal Geodatabase is expanded in the

Catalog Tree.

□ Right click on ‘my-itc-dataset‘ dataset. A menu will appear, choose

New then Feature Class; new window will open. Write ‘busstops‘ in
the Name textbox then click Next button.

□ Skip the next window by clicking Next.

□ New window opens. In this window you can assign the shape type
(point, polygon or line) and the spatial reference of the new feature
class. Click on the SHAPE field name.

□ In the Field properties you will find that Polygon is assigned to the
geometry type as default. Click on polygon, dropdown menu will
appear. Choose Point from the dropdown menu.

□ In the Field Properties you will find that Spatial Reference is set to
Rijksdriehoekstelsel_new. You will not change this spatial reference

□ Click Finish.

□ Expand the ‘myITC’ Geodatabase.

Now you can see that you have a new feature class called ‘busstops’ in your ‘my-
itc-dataset‘ dataset.

 Question 3.6
Why did you not assign new spatial reference for the ‘busstops‘ feature
class?

In ArcCatalog preview the ‘busstops’ feature class, you will find that it is empty.

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 Exercise 3. Data Entry and Management

In this part you will add point features to the ‘busstops’ feature class by
entering already known coordinates

► Enter the two bus stops

□ Open your ArcMap document and close ArcCatalog.

□ Use Add Data button to add the ‘busstops’ feature class and

□ Start editing.

□ Choose ‘busstops’ as the target layer.

□ Make sure that the task displayed on Task drop down menu is ‘Create
New Feature’.

□ Click the Sketch Tool Button then right click on the map screen; a
window will appear. Choose Absolute x,y; a small window will appear.
Type 257134.30 and 471885.22 in the X and Y textboxes respectively
then press Enter button on you computer keyboard.

□ Repeat the same operation for the other bus stop with the following x,y
coordinates (257171.48,471881.15).

□ Save edits to the ‘busstops’ feature class.

3.4 Summary
In this exercise you learnt how to manage a Personal Geodatabase and enter
geographic and attribute data to the Geodatabase. You are now able to:
● Create Geodatabases and datasets
● Copy feature classes from one Geodatabase to another
● Delete feature classes from a Geodatabase
● Edit the geographic features in feature classes
● Validate the topological relation within a Geodatabase
● Create new feature classes
● On screen digitise geographic features

Many other options exist regarding the management, data entry and data editing
in ArcGIS. However this exercise only covered the topics that are essential for the
understanding of the principle of GIS. It is expected that many additional skills in
using ArcGIS will be obtained throughout the course.

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3.5 Challenges

3.5 Challenges

► Try to enter the missing road segments within the ITC west area in the
‘road’ feature class by using the appropriate editing tools.

► With reference to the ArcGIS online help try to practice on the other
editing tools available in the editing toolbar.

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Exercise 4

Using toolboxes

Topics:

What are toolboxes, how to use system toolboxes in ArcMap and ArcCatalog,
Toolboxes and Menus, creating your own toolboxes, adding system tools to new
toolboxes.

4.1 Introduction
In this exercise we will learn some more about a specific functionality in your
ArcGIS software – toolboxes. Toolboxes will help you to run all kinds of operations
on your data, and you will need them in the exercises to come. Up till now you
used buttons and menus to access the ArcGIS functions. The functionality in
toolboxes goes beyond the functionality of menus. Toolboxes can give you access
to all operations you can perform in ArcGIS and to additional functionality added
by yourself.

The time required to complete this exercise is 120 minutes.

▐ Note that there is no data necessary to complete this exercise. Data necessary
to complete the challenges can be found in the Blackboard course 03: Principles
of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 4: Using toolboxes

► Copy the data for the challenges to your personal directory.

Shortcut:

1. Run the system tool “Create Personal GDB” to create a new geodata-
base.
2. Create a new custom toolbox in this geodatabase (name “Mytools”).
3. Add a toolset called ProjectA.
4. Add the system tool “Intersect” to this toolset.
5. Make sure that your new toolbox appears in the toolbox list.

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4.2 Step by step exercise

4.2 Step by step exercise

The “step-by-step” execution of the exercise is described below.

What are toolboxes

ArcToolbox is an integrated part of ArcMap and ArcCatalog. You can open the
toolboxes just like you open a menu.

► Open ArcMap with a new Map document and open the toolboxes

□ When ArcMap is not yet open, open ArcMap with a new (empty) map
document

□ You do not have to add any data at this time

► Open the toolboxes

Fig 4.1:
ArcMap with the
toolboxes closed.

□ In your main toolbar click on the Show/Hide ArcToolbox Window

button indicated in the figure above. The result should be similar to
figure 4.2

▐ You can open the toolboxes in ArcCatalog in a similar way

When you explore the content of ArcToolbox a little further you will see that
ArcToolbox contains several different “Toolboxes”, for example boxes containing
‘3D Analyst Tools’, ‘Data Management tools’ etc.

 Question 4.1
Do you have the same (number and names) toolboxes as shown in fig 4.2?

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 Exercise 4. Using toolboxes

Fig 4.2:
ArcMap with toolboxes
visible.

A toolbox is a container of different toolsets and tools.

When you open the ‘Data Management Tools’ toolbox you will see that it
contains many different toolsets that can be further opened to see the tools that
are available to you.

□ Click on the + sign in front of ‘Data Management tools’ to open the

toolbox. You can now see the toolsets available in this toolbox.

Fig 4.3:
Toolsets in a toolbox,
and tools in the toolset

□ Click on the + sign before the ‘Fields’ toolset to see the tools

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4.2 Step by step exercise

Explore more on your own and answer the following questions:

 Question 4.2

a. How many tools are included in the Topology toolset?

b. What is the difference between the database tools and the workspace
tools?

Executing a tool

Via various tools you can access the functionality of ArcGIS. They have a similar
function as menus and buttons.
Tools can be executed by double clicking, or you can right click on the tool
to open the context menu and then select open.
Executing a tool is very much like running an option from a menu. You will
see a dialog where you can enter all necessary information to run the tool.

You will now test this out by running the “create personal geodatabase” tool.

► Execute a tool

□ Go to the ‘Data Management tools’ and open this toolbox.

□ Open the ‘Workspace’ toolset

□ Double click the ‘Create Personal GDB’ tool to execute it and to create
an Access database.

Fig 4.4:
Create Personal GDB
tool dialog

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 Exercise 4. Using toolboxes

□ Select an output location on your m-drive. You can use the browse
button, or type the location.

□ Enter a name for you new Geodatabase for example “ToolGDB”

□ Click OK

The progress window that appears will tell you when the operation is finished.

Fig 4.5:
Progress dialog

As long as the operation is running you will see a ‘cancel’ button. When it has
completed, this button will become the ‘Close’ button.

□ Wait until your geodatabase is created and then close the progress
dialog.

□ You can check in ArcCatalog to confirm that your new Geodatabase

was created.

Finding tools

ArcToolbox contains hundreds of different tools. The number of tools depends

on your licence (ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcInfo) but also on the extensions that
are available to you (Spatial Analyst, 3D analyst etc.). The large number of tools
makes it difficult to find the tool you are looking for. When you look closer at the
toolbox window, you will see that it contains three different tabs, the favourites,
the index and the search.

Fig 4.6:
Tabs on the toolbox
window

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 103
4.2 Step by step exercise

The ‘Favorites’ tab contains all tools that are available to you. The ‘index’ tab
allows you to see the tools in alphabetical order and to find tools.

► Find a tool using the “Index” tab

□ Click on the index tab

□ Type the keywords: “Create Per….”, to locate the tool that you have
used in the previous task.

□ Select the tool and click the ‘Locate’ button. This will bring you to exact
location of this tool.

► Locate the following tools in the same way:

□ Create feature class

□ Add field

□ Intersect

The “Search” tab has even more search possibilities. It allows you to type in a
keyword or a partial name.

Creating your own toolbox

So far, we have only used system toolboxes, these are toolboxes already included in
your software when you buy it. One of the powerful new possibilities of toolboxes
is that you can create your own ones. You may want to do this for example when
you are working on a project and you want to group all the tools you use together
for easy access.

► Creating your own toolbox

□ You can create a new toolbox by right clicking in the toolbox window
and selecting new toolbox.(Fig. 4.7)

Your toolbox will then be stored as a .tbx file in the ‘MyToolboxes’ folder. You
can also store the toolbox in a geodatabase. The toolbox will then be stored as a
table.

► Create a new toolbox in a geodatabase

You will now create a new toolbox with your own name. This toolbox will be
stored in the personal geodatabase you created earlier in this exercise. To store a
new toolbox in a geodatabase, the toolbox has to be created in ArcCatalog.

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 Exercise 4. Using toolboxes

Fig 4.7:
Create a new toolbox

□ Close ArcMap and open ArcCatalog

□ Go to the personal geodatabase your created earlier (ToolGDB)

□ Right click to open the context menu and select New, Toolbox

□ Change the name of this toolbox to “MyTools”

Fig 4.8:
Create a toolbox in
Geodatabse

Adding tools to a toolbox

The toolbox you created is still empty. There are two types of tools you can add to
a toolbox, System tools and Custom tools. Systems tools are tools that are already
included in one of the existing toolboxes and are provided by your software. A
reason to place system tools in a custom toolbox is to group tools together. It is
also possible to add new tools (created by you) to your toolbox. These custom

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 105
4.2 Step by step exercise

tools can be models, scripts, or tools you built with ArcObjects. For now we will
only focus on adding system tools.

► Adding tools to a toolbox

□ Make the contents of your Geodatabase visible and confirm that your
new toolbox is in the geodatabase

Fig 4.9:
Toolbox in
Geodatabase

□ Right click on your ‘MyTools’ toolbox to open the context menu and
select New, Toolset

Fig 4.10:
Add toolset

□ (Re)Name the toolset ‘ProjectA’

□ Select your new toolset, right click to open the context menu and select
Add, tool

Fig 4.11:
Add tool

□ Select from the menu, Analysis tools, overlay, intersect by check

marking the box.

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 Exercise 4. Using toolboxes

□ Click OK

Fig 4.12:
Select tool

When you want to practice some more, you can add a few more tools on your
own.

Show toolbox

When you look closely at the toolbox window in ArcCatalog you see the list of
available toolboxes and your own toolbox “Mytools” does not appear in this list.
When you open ArcMap, your tool also does not appear in the toolbox list of
ArcMap. We will have to make sure it is added correctly so that you can use it
every time you open either ArcCatalog or ArcMap.

□ Select your toolbox and right click to open the context menu.

□ Select Add to ArcToolbox. (Fig. 4.13)

Your own tool should now be visible in the Toolbox list of ArcCatalog (like in Fig.
4.14).

► But is it also visible in ArcMap? We will check this.

Click the open ArcMap button in ArcCatalog and close ArcCatalog

□ Open ArcMap with a new map document

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 107
4.3 Challenges

Fig 4.13:
Add toolbox

Fig 4.14:
Custom toolbox

□ If necessary open the toolbox window and check if you toolbox is

there.

 Question 4.3:
Is your toolbox visible?

4.3 Challenges

► In this exercise you learned how to execute a system tool. Can you also
execute a custom tool? Open the Map document provided in your data
and run the model.

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 Exercise 4. Using toolboxes

► Create a new toolbox called “Challenge Tools” and add the following
system tools: ‘Feature Class to Shapefile (Conversion tool), buffer and
frequency statistics.

4.4 Summary
In this chapter you practiced your skills in using the dockable ArcToolbox window
in ArcMap and ArcCatalog. You are now familiar with the concepts toolbox,
toolset and tool. You are now able to:
● Use system toolboxes
● Run system tools form toolbox
● Create a new custom toolbox – toolset
● Add a system tool to a custom toolbox
● Make a new custom toolbox visible in the toolbox window

You do not yet know the full functionality of toolboxes but you have obtained
enough knowledge to learn while going through the next exercises.
Some functions like adding scripts will be fully explored during later
modules.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 109
Exercise 5

Spatial referencing

Topics:

● Project vector data in different projection systems (section 5.2);

● Set-up a specific map coordinate system (section 5.3);
● Apply “On-the-fly” projection change (section 5.4);
● Convert vector data into a different map coordinate system (section
5.5);
● Make an appropriate choice of a map coordinate system (section 5.6);
● Georeference a raster image (section 5.7)
● Assign coordinate information to a geocoded image (section 5.8);

5.1 Introduction
In this exercise you will learn how to set up a coordinate system, and apply various
coordinate transformations for vector and raster data.

Data sets of Enschede and the World will be used.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course:
03: Principles of GIS (2005) under:
Assignments/Exercise 5: Map projections and coordinated transformation/
Exercise data

► Copy the this data to your personal directory

 For more information see “Principles of GIS “, 4.2, “Spatial

Referencing”.

Shortcut:

1. Transform a data frame with a vector map of the World in geographic

coordinates into various map (projection) coordinate systems.
2. Define the national coordinate system of Ghana.

111
5.2 Projection change

3. Overlay “on-the-fly” raster and vector data layers with different

coordinate systems to the coordinate system of the data frame.
4. Convert a vector data file from one coordinate system (WGS84
coordinates) into another coordinate system (Dutch coordinates:
Rijksdriehoekstelsel) First; assign the correct coordinate information
(WGS84.prj) to the vector data file. Second; convert the vector data file
into the target coordinate system (Rijksdriehoekstelsel).
5. Choose an appropriate map coordinate system for a certain area and a
given map purpose.
6. Assign map coordinates to a raster image by means of a number of
control points.
7. Assign missing map coordinates to a raster image by means of a “world”
file

Toolbars and Toolboxes

The following toolbars are required:

● Main menu,
● Standard,
● Tools,
● Georeferencing.

You will also use the following Toolboxes:

● Data management tools, toolset projections and transformations.

 More information on map projections and coordinate transformations

http://kartoweb.itc.nl/geometrics

5.2 Projection change

A vector map of the World has assigned geographic coordinates. The data frame
with the map will be transformed to the following map coordinate systems:
● Mercator (conformal cylindrical projection)
● Mollweide (pseudo-cylindrical equal-area projection)
● Equi-rectangular or Plate Carree (equidistant cylindrical projection)
● Robinson (pseudo cylindrical)
● Lambert Conformal Conic
● Stereographic (conformal azimuthal projection)

► Start-up

□ Download the exercise data from Blackboard to your m: drive

□ Start ArcMap.

□ Create a new empty map [File][New].

□ Save the map as m:\….\world.mxd [File][Save As].

□ Add the following data layer: World.shp (see folder Data/World).

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

 Question 5.1:
Check the map units and coordinate system (data frame properties)

Map units

Coordinate system:

▐ Since there is no spatial coordinate system defined in advance ArcMap

examines the coordinate values to see if they fall within the proper range: -180
to 180 for x-values and -90 to 90 for y-values. If they do, ArcMap assumes
that these are geographic coordinates of latitude and longitude based on the
North American datum, with map units expressed in degrees, minutes and
seconds. If the values are not in this range, ArcMap simply treats the values
as planar x,y coordinates.

► Specify a coordinate system for the data frame.

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System]

□ Select the following coordinate system from the Coordinate System

dialog box: Predefined > Projected Coordinate Systems > World >
Mercator (world)

Fig 5.1:
Coordinate system
dialog box

□ Click Ok

Fig 5.2:
Warning: geographic
coordinate systems
(geodetic datum’s)
differ for one or more
data sources

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 113
5.2 Projection change

This warning indicates that the geodetic datum (geographic coordinate system)
of the selected coordinate system and the assumed coordinate system are not the
same. Mercator (world) uses the WGS84 while the assumed coordinate system
uses the North American Datum. ArcMap will use a default datum transformation.
That’s fine, at small scales datum transformations are of no importance!

□ Click Yes to accept the selected coordinate system (Mercator)

▐ Note that the coordinates have changed to x,y coordinates with map units
in meters and a map scale is also given now. The world map inside the data
frame is projected towards the Mercator map coordinate system.

► Set the data frame to the following map coordinate systems:

□ Mollweide ( world )

□ Equi-rectangular or Plate Carree ( world )

□ Robinson ( world )

□ Lambert Conformal Conic ( continental )

□ Stereographic ( polar )

All the projections are Predefined Projected Coordinate Systems in ArcMap

▐ For all coordinate systems accept the given projection parameters (geodetic
datum, central meridian, reference latitude, false easting, false northing,
standard parallels, etc).

 Question 5.2
For each map coordinate system note down it’s projection class and property:
(refer to http://kartoweb.itc.nl/geometrics)

Mercator: class:
property:

Mollweide: class:
property:

Plate Carree: class:

property:

Robinson: class:
property:

Lambert Conformal Conic: class:

property:

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

Stereographic: class:
property:

 Question 5.3:

a. Measure the distance from the East of Cuba to the South-West of

England for the Mercator and Plate Carree projection

1. Click the Measure button [A] on the Tools toolbar. [A]

2. Use the mouse pointer to draw a line representing the distance

you want to measure. Double-click to end the line.

3. Review the distance in the lower left corner of the window

Mercator: map distance: km

Plate Carree: map distance: km

b. Explain the differences in distance?

c. Which coordinate system gives the correct distance?

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 115
5.3 Set-up a custom coordinate system

5.3 Set-up a custom coordinate system

In this section you will learn to set up the parameters for a particular map coordinate
system. The national coordinate system of Ghana is taken as example.

To set-up a map coordinate system, information about the parameters of the

coordinate system is required, like:
● Ellipsoid (equatorial (a) and polar radius (b) )
● Datum
● Origin of the coordinate system ( latitude and longitude of origin )
● False Easting and False Northing
● Central Meridian or the standard parallels
● Scale factor at CM or standard parallels

 Question 5.4:
Ghana adopted the Transverse Mercator with the following characteristics:

● The meridian of 1º West of Greenwich is selected as the central

meridian

● To avoid undue distortions at the eastern and western extremities of

the country all distances along the central meridian have been reduced
by 1/4000. The scale is less than one along the central meridian, then
becomes one on two lines, equidistant from the central meridian (466
000 ft) and further away it becomes greater than one .

● Origin is at the point where the central meridian intersects the 40 40’
parallel, all North coordinates are positive. To avoid negative East
values the origin is given false easting of 900 000 ft. (1 ft. = 0.3048m.)

● The reference datum is the Leigon based on the Clark 1880 ellipsoid

Selected parameters are (refer to the info given above):

Projection: Transverse Mercator

Ellipsoid: Clarke 1880
Datum: Leigon
Central Meridian: - 10 (10 West of Greenwich)
Latitude of Origin (central parallel): 4.6666666667 (40 40’)
Scale Factor: 1/4000= 0.00025 1 - 0.00025 = 0.99975
False Easting (m): 900 000 ft = 274320 m
False Northing (m): 0m

► Start-up

□ Create a new empty map [File][New]

□ Save the map as m:\….\ghana.mxd [File][Save As]

□ Add the following data layer: World.shp (see folder Data/World)

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate system]

□ Select <custom>

Fig 5.3:
Coordinate system
dialog box

□ Choose [New] [Projected Coordinate System] and create the coordinate

system for Ghana with the specific projection parameters (coordinate
system name: Ghana)

▐ To set the Leigon datum select it from the list of predefined Geographic
Coordinate Systems.

□ Apply the coordinate system for Ghana

□ Zoom in at Ghana.

□ Locate the origin where the coordinates are 0, 0. Notice that the origin is
located South-West of Ghana to achieve positive X and Y coordinates.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 117
5.3 Set-up a custom coordinate system

 Question 5.5

a. Select a point in the center of Ghana and note down it’s map (projection)
coordinates.

Map coordinates:

X: ____________________m

Y: ____________________m

Are the map coordinates as you expected?

b. Compare the coordinate system of Ghana with the UTM projection.

Both map coordinate systems use the Transverse Mercator. What are
the differences?

► Set up the coordinate system of your country for a feature dataset

ArcGIS provides tools to set up a pre-defined or new coordinate system for

● Shape files and coverages
● Feature datasets (Personal Geodatabase)
● Feature classes (Personal Geodatabase)

So far we did not specify a coordinate system for a Personal Geodatabase.

□ Use ArcCatalog and create a new Personal Geodatabase with a Feature

dataset for your country.

□ The feature dataset should have assigned the map coordinate system of
your country.

□ Select the coordinate system of your country from the list of predefined
coordinate systems (projected coordinate systems >national grids).

□ If the coordinate system is not available in the list, create a new

coordinate system.

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

5.4 “On the fly” projection change

ArcMap provides a way to add data with different coordinate systems and re-
project them “on-the-fly” to the coordinate system specified for the data frame. Of
course ArcMap expects that the correct coordinate system information is stored
with the data.

▐ If the coordinate system information is NOT stored with the data you can
define a vector or raster data file’s coordinate system information if it is
missing with the Define Projection tool in the ArcToolbox (refer to section
5.5)

To demonstrate the “on-the-fly” projection of your data we will use an aerial

photograph, photoRD.sid, of the ITC environment, formatted as MrSID. The
photograph is rectified and geocoded with the Dutch National Grid System called
“RijksDriehoekstelsel”

The following data layers will be overlaid on the photograph:

● A road layer in the Dutch map coordinate system (roads)
● A main road layer in WGS84 geographic coordinate system (main_
roads_WGS84.shp)
● A building layer in UTM map coordinates (bldUTM.shp)

▐ Notice the projection information file (.prj) for main_roads_WGS84 and

bldUTM (see folder Data/Enschede/Enschede Centre)

► Start-up

□ Create a new empty map [File][New]

□ Save the map as m:\….\enschede.mxd [File][Save As]

▐ So far, we first added the data layers and then specified the coordinate system
for the data frame. It’s more appropriate to specify the coordinate system for
the data frame before adding the data layers.

► Specify a coordinate system for the data frame.

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System].

□ Select the following coordinate system from the Coordinate System

dialog box: Predefined > Projected Coordinate Systems > National
Grids > Rijksdriehoekstelsel (the Dutch Coordinate system).

□ Click Apply (see the change in the current coordinate system box).

□ Click Add to Favourites.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 119
5.4 “On the fly” projection change

Fig 5.4:
Coordinate system
dialog box

□ Switch to the General tab and observe the change in Map and Display
units.

□ Click Ok.

► Add the rectified aerial photograph to the projected data frame

□ Add the following data layer: PhotoRD.sid (see folder Data/Enschede/

Enschede Centre).

Fig 5.5:
Missing spatial
reference information
window

▐ The photograph has been rectified and the Dutch coordinates are stored in the
data file header, so ArcMap can place the photograph at the correct location
in the data frame. The warning indicated that photograph can NOT be
reprojected since the projection information for the photograph is unknown,
because there is no coordinate system information file (.prj) defined for this
photograph (refer to section 5.5)

□ Click Ok.

□ Double Click the PhotoRD.sid data layer to open the layer properties
and go to the Source tab.

▐ Notice under Spatial Reference the coordinate system information:

Undefined

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

Fig 5.6:
Data source dialog box

□ Click Ok to close the window.

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System] and observe

under layers the assigned Unknown coordinate system for the aerial
photograph. The current coordinate system is Rijksdriehoekstelsel.

Fig 5.7:
Coordinate system
dialog box

□ Click Ok to close the window.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 121
5.4 “On the fly” projection change

► Add roads to the projected data frame

□ Add the following data layer: Roads (see folder Data/Enschede/

Enschede Centre/Enschede ITC.mdb).

▐ The roads are stored in Dutch coordinates and ArcMap can place the roads
at the correct location in the data frame without a reprojection.

□ Double Click the roads symbol and choose a more noticeable symbol.

□ Double Click the roads layer to open the layer properties and go to the
Source tab.

▐ Notice under data source the coordinate system information:

Fig 5.8:
Data source dialog box

This is the Dutch coordinate system (also called Rijksdriehoekstelsel)

□ Click Ok to close the window.

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System] and observe

under layers the assigned coordinate system for the roads layer.

□ Click Ok to close the window.

□ Add data with another coordinate system to the projected data frame.

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

□ Add the following data layer: Main_Roads_WGS84.shp (see folder

Data/Enschede/Enschede Centre).

The following message appears:

Fig 5.9:
Warning: geographic
coordinate systems
(geodetic datum’s)
differ for one or more
data sources

The warning indicates that the geodetic datum (geographic coordinate system)
of the current coordinate system and the main roads are not the same. The main
roads layer uses WGS84 coordinates, whereas the map frame refers to the Dutch
geodetic datum (GCS_Amerfoort in ArcMap). ArcMap will choose automatically
a suitable datum transformation, if applicable.

□ Click Ok.

□ Double Click the main roads symbol and choose a more noticeable
symbol.

▐ The automatically chosen datum transformation gives serious alignment

problems. Let us check the applied the datum transformation.

Fig 5.10:
Alignment problems

□ Double Click the main roads layer to open the layer properties and go
to the Source tab.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 123
5.4 “On the fly” projection change

Notice under data source the coordinate system information:

Fig 5.11:
Data source dialog box

□ Click Ok to close the window.

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System] and

observe under layers the coordinate system for the main roads layer.
The coordinate system of the data frame is Rijksdriehoekstelsel.

Fig 5.12:
Coordinate system
dialog box

Make sure that Rijksdriehoekstelsel is the current coordinate system.

Rijksdriehoekstelsel should be highlighted.

□ Click Transformations and select Convert from: GCS_WGS_1984 into:

GCS_Amersfoort. (Fig. 5.13)

□ Click Ok to accept the datum transformation and close the window.

□ Click Ok to apply the chosen datum transformation.

▐ Notice that the main road layer is now matching! It appeared that the datum
transformation chosen by ArcMap has not been applied properly (a possible
program bug)

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

Fig 5.13:
Geographic coordinate
system transformations
window

▐ If your data layers still don’t match it might be that the Rijksdriehoekstelsel
is not assigned as the current coordinate system. Please check the coordinate
system and reassign the correct coordinate system (Rijksdriehoekstelsel)

► Add data with another coordinate system to the projected data frame

□ Add the following data layer: bldUTM (see folder Data/Enschede/

Enschede Centre).

The same message appears:

Fig 5.14:
Warning: geographic
coordinate systems
(geodetic datum’s)
differ for one or more
data sources

The geodetic datum (geographic coordinate system) of the current coordinate

system and the bldUTM coordinate system are not the same. The building layer
(bldUTM) uses WGS84, whereas the map frame refers to the Dutch geodetic
datum (GCS_Amerfoort in ArcMap). ArcMap will choose automatically a suitable
datum transformation, if applicable.

□ Click Ok to close the window.

□ Double Click the bldUTM layer to open the layer properties and go to
the Source tab.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 125
5.4 “On the fly” projection change

Notice under data source the coordinate system information:

Fig 5.15:
Data source dialog box

□ Click Ok to close the window.

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System] and observe

under layers the coordinate system of the bldUTM layer (WGS_1984_
UTM_Zone31N). The current coordinate system of the data frame is
Rijksdriehoekstelsel.

Fig 5.16:
Coordinate system
dialog box

□ Click Ok to close the window.

► Assign the following map coordinate system to the data frame: UTM
Zone 31N with the European datum 1950 (Projected Coordinate Systems
> UTM > Other GCS > European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 31N)

▐ Notice that the data layers are reprojected “on-the-fly” to the newly
assigned coordinate system, except for the data layer with the rectified aerial
photograph. This is obvious! The coordinate system information for the
photograph is defined as Unknown, so no reprojection can take place.

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System] and reselect

the Dutch coordinate system (Favorites > Rijksdriehoekstelsel).

Fig 5.17:
Coordinate system
dialog box

□ Click Ok to reapply the Dutch coordinate system.

□ Choose [File][Save] to save the map.

5.5 Coordinate transformations of vector data files

The projection and coordinate transformations in the previous sections are actually
transformations at the level of the data frame. The source vector data files remain
unchanged in ArcMap.
To convert the coordinates of a source vector data file you have to use the
Projection and Transformation tools in the Data Management Toolbox (Projections
and Transformations toolset) of ArcToolBox. (Fig. 5.18)

With the Define Projection tool you can define a vector or raster data file’s
coordinate system information if it is missing or modify a data file’s existing
coordinate system information.
With the Project tool you can convert a vector data file from one coordinate
system into a different coordinate system.

Define a data file’s coordinate system

□ Open ArcToolBox – Projections and Transformations.

□ Start the Define Projection tool.

Select the input dataset to assign a coordinate system information file (.prj):

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 127
5.5 Coordinate transformations of vector data files

Fig 5.18:
Toolbox

□ Select the GPS(wgs84).shp from the Data/Enschede/Enschede

Aamsveen folder.

▐ The GPS(wgs84) shape file contains a track of GPS positions somewhere near
Enschede. The GPS positions were captured with a GPS receiver and converted
to a shape file. The co-ordinates of the GPS positions are in WGS84 coordinates.

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

Fig 5.19:
Define projection
wizard window

□ Click [B] to select the correct the Coordinate system.

[B]

Select the coordinate system information to be assigned to the dataset:

□ Select > Geographic Coordinate Systems > World > WGS1984.prj >

□ Click Add and Ok.

□ Click Ok, and close the progress window when ready.

▐ A new file GPS(wgs84).prj has been created in the Enschede Aamsveen

folder. The file contains information about the coordinate system. Review the
file!

▐ The message “datum conflict between map and output” indicates that your
current data frame has a different coordinate system than the transformed
data file

Convert a data file from one coordinate system into a different coordi-
nate system.
After defining the coordinate system by a PRJ file you can transform the data
file into another data file with a different coordinate system. The output data file
should have a defined coordinate system and PRJ file.
For example let’s convert the GPS data file with WGS84 coordinates into a
new data file with Dutch map coordinates.

□ Start the Project tool (under feature).

□ Select as Input Dataset or Feature Class the GPS(wgs84).shp from the

Enschede Aamsveen folder.

□ Specify the Output Dataset or Feature Class location/name: M:\Data\

Enschede\Enschede Aamsveen\GPS(RD).shp.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 129
5.5 Coordinate transformations of vector data files

□ Click [B] to define the coordinate system for the output dataset.

□ Select > Projected Coordinate Systems> National Grids >

Rijksdriehoekstelsel.prj >

□ Click Add and Ok.

□ Choose for Geographic Transformation: Amersfoort_To_WGS_1984.

▐ A datum transformation is necessary because the Dutch system does not

use the WGS84 but a local datum (GCS_Amerfoort) based on the Bessel
ellipsoid.

Fig 5.20:
Project window

□ Click Ok and Close.

► Create a new map (or use the map Enschede.mxd) and add the GPS(RD).
shp file. Review the coordinate system and overlay it with RoadsRD.
shp (TOP10vector road data from the Dutch Topographic Survey).

 Question 5.6
What could be the reason for the alignment problem between the
TOP10vector roads and the GPS track?

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

5.6 Map coordinate system selection

In this part you will learn how to choose an appropriate map coordinate system
for a certain map.

► Start-up

□ Create a new empty map (File > New).

□ Save the map as m:\….\mycontinent.mxd [File][Save As].

□ Add the data layer World.shp to the map.

□ Zoom in at your continent.

A. Select the map projection

The selection of a map projection has to be made on the basis of:

● Shape and size of the area
● Position of the area
● Purpose of the map

 Question 5.7: Try to answer the following:

● What is the shape of your continent?

rectangular / triangular / circular

Projection class to be selected:

Cylindrical / Conical / Azimuthal

● What is the position of your continent?

Aspect of the projection to be selected:

Normal / Transverse / Oblique

● What is the purpose of the map?

a. map which require measuring angles (topo maps, aeronautical charts)

b. map which require measuring areas (distribution maps)
c. map which require reasonable area and angle distortions

Projection property to be selected:

Conformal / Equivalent / Equidistant

● Selected map projection?

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 131
5.6 Map coordinate system selection

► Specify the selected map coordinate system for the data frame.

□ Choose [View][Data Frame Properties][Coordinate System] .

□ Select the selected map coordinate system from the list of Continental
coordinate systems: Predefined > Projected Coordinate Systems >
Continental >……….

□ Click Apply (see the change in the current coordinate system box).

B. Select the projection parameters

Appropriate projection parameters have to be defined for the selected projection.

Projection parameters like:
● Ellipsoid (equatorial (a) and polar radius (b))
● Datum
● Origin of the coordinate system (latitude and longitude of origin)
● False Easting and False Northing
● Central Meridian or the standard parallels
● Scale factor at CM or standard parallels

In order to achieve optimum accuracy, the selected ellipsoid or datum should fit

the area of interest (your continent).

□ Modify the current coordinate system and select an appropriate datum

(geographic coordinate system) from the list of predefined datum’s.

 Question 5.8
Selected datum (geographic coordinate system):

Ellipsoid of the selected datum:

In order to achieve minimum scale distortions parameters such as the Central

Meridian, standard parallels and/or scale factors should be carefully selected,
based on the location and extent of the area of interest (your continent).

□ Modify the current map coordinate system and assign appropriate

parameters.

In order to achieve positive X and Y coordinates you may shift the origin of the
coordinate system (0, 0) from the projection centre to another location by means
of False easting and Northing coordinates.

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 Question 5.9
Selected False Easting

Selected False Northing

□ Modify the current map coordinate system and assign the selected false
easting and northing coordinates, if supported.

 Question 5.10
Selected parameters (depends on the selected map coordinate system):

5.7 Georeferencing a raster image

This exercise demonstrates the procedure to assign coordinates to a raster image
(e.g. an aerial photograph, a satellite image or a scanned map) by means of a
number of control points, followed by the rectification of the raster image.

► Start-up.

□ Create a new empty map.

□ Save the map as m:\…\georeferenced map.mxd (File] [Save As].

□ Add the following data layer: Map.tif (see folder Data/Enschede/

Enschede Centre).

▐ The raster map is in pixel space with no spatial coordinate system information.
ArcMap assumes that the data are unprojected, and therefore it reads out
geographic coordinates with map units expressed in degrees, minutes and
seconds (see lower right corner). This is obviously wrong! We deal here with
a scanned paper map, and any flat paper map is projected!

► Change of map units.

□ Choose [View] [Data Frame Properties…][General] and change the

map units from decimal degrees into meters.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 133
5.7 Georeferenicing a raster image

Fig 5.21:
Map units dialog box

□ Press Ok.

► Enter control points

□ Choose [Tools] [Customize].

□ Check mark the checkbox “Georeferencing”

□ Click Close to close the window.

□ From the Georeferencing toolbar verify that layer is Map.tif.

Fig 5.22:
Georeferencing tool
bar

□ Choose “Georeferencing” and verify if the Auto Adjust is check

marked.

▐ If Auto Adjust is active, the raster image will be automatically transformed.

[C] □ Zoom in [C] to the lower left corner of the scanned map.

Fig 5.23:
Lower left corner of the
scanned map

[D] □ Click the Add Control Points [D] button. Then, click the map corner.

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 Exercise 5. Spatial referencing

□ Click the right mouse button, select Input X and Y .. and enter the map
coordinates of the corner point. Click OK.

Fig 5.24:
Enter coordinates
window

□ Fit the map on the screen [E]. [E]

□ Repeat this procedure for the remaining 3 map corner points.

□ In case you made a mistake: select “Georeferencing” [Delete control

points].

 Question 5.11
Assume that the map coordinates of the 4 corner points are not given, but
instead geographic coordinates by means of a graticule. Would it be correct
to use these geographic coordinates for the georeferencing?

► Check the transformation.

□ Click the View Link Table [F] button to open the table with the control [F]
points and check the residuals for each control point and the total Root
Mean Square Error (RMSE).

Fig 5.25:
Link table window

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 135
5.7 Georeferenicing a raster image

▐ The total RMS error should be smaller than 1.0. If the RMSE is greater than
1.0, you can repeat the georefencing by selecting [Georeferencing][Delete
control points] or delete one or more control points by selecting the control
[G] point(s), and then Click the delete button [G]

▐ ArcMap supports first order and higher order transformations. A first order
affine transformation is applied here. It requires a minimum of 3 control
points and 1 extra control point for the calculation of the RMSE.

► For the raster image, the georeferencing information is stored in a

separate file with the same name as the raster but with an .aux file
extension. Please check this!

▐ A similar procedure can be followed to perform an Image to Image

registration. The only difference is that the Control Point tool [D] is used to
place a control point on the input image and the corresponding location on
the target image.

The next activity might be to permanently transform (geocoding) the raster by

using the Rectify command on the georeferencing toolbar.

Fig 5.26: ► Rectification of the raster image (geocoding).

Save as window
This step is required if you like to reorient or resize the image towards the map
coordinate system of the control points. A rectified image, with a new position
and a new value for each pixel, is generated.

□ Choose [Georeferencing] [Rectify…]

□ Cell size: 0.5 (meter).

□ Resample Type: Nearest Neighbor.

□ Click Save.

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□ Add the rectified map to the map frame.

▐ It’s obvious that the rectified map is placed on top of the georeferenced map

□ Choose [Georeferencing][Delete control points].

▐ The transformation for the georeferenced map is gone. The georeferenced

map does not anymore fit with the rectified map.

5.8 Optional advanced exercises

Assign coordinate information to a geocoded image

In this exercise you will assign coordinates to a raster map by means of a “world”
file, a file that contains the coordinate information to georeference the raster
map.
If you have raster images, which have been geometrically corrected (geo-
coded) in a package such as ILWIS or ERDAS they can be aligned in ArcMap with
the vector data.
Some image formats, such as ERDAS Imagine, BSQ, BIL, BIP and GeoTIFF
store the co-ordinate information in the header of the image file. ArcMap uses this
information for the correct positioning of the images.
However, other image formats, such as TIFF, JPEG and BMP don’t embed
co-ordinate information.
A world file with the co-ordinate information can be created for the correct
positioning of the image.

► Start-up

□ Open the existing map as m:\…\enschede.mxd [File] [Open].

□ Add the following data layer: Photo98.jpg (see folder Data/Enschede/

Enschede Centre).

□ Zoom in to the data layer Photo98.jpg.

▐ “Photo98” is a coloured aerial photograph of the Enschede city centre. It

has been geometrically corrected (geocoded) on the Dutch Coordinate
system: Rijksdriehoekstelsel, but the coordinate information for the correct
positioning is missing with the JPEG.

□ Remove the data layer Photo98.jpg from the map.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 137
5.8 Optional advanced exercises

► Create a World file

□ Use the windows “NotePad” or “Write” or another text editor to make

an appropriate world file. The correct georeferencing parameters for
this image are:
● Dimension of a pixel in X and Y direction: 1m (1 and -1)
● Rotation: none (0)
● X-co-ordinate of upper-left pixel: 257000
● Y-co-ordinate of upper-left pixel: 471800

□ Start Notepad (Start>Programs>Accessories>Notepad) and produce

the “world file” Type the contents of the world file The result should
look like Fig. 5.27

Fig 5.27:
Notepad editor window
with the world file
parameters
□ Save the world file in the same folder as the image (Data/Enschede/
Enschede Centre) with the name Photo98.jpgw.

▐ “Make sure you save the resultant world file using the appropriate suffix.
This suffix should be “.jpgw” .

□ Check with Windows explorer if Windows did not automatically put

the extension “txt” behind the name of your world file, which would
be wrong. To do this you have to start Windows Explorer and open the
folder were the image and the world file are located. Select Tools>Folder
Options> View and make sure that the option ‘Hide file extensions for
known file types” is NOT check marked.

► Add the image.

□ Add the data layer Photo98.jpg once again (from the same folder
that contains the world file). Notice this time the image fits the other
information, because the georeference info in the world file is used

▐ The image transformation applied to fit the image to the other information is

a two-dimensional affine transformation.

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5.9 Summary
In this exercise:
● You transformed a data frame with a vector map of the World into
different map coordinate systems. Each map coordinate system has it’s
own characteristics.
● You specified the national coordinate system of Ghana. In a similar way
you can specify your own map coordinate system.
● You overlaid raster and vector data layers with different coordinate
systems “on-the-fly” to the coordinate system of the data frame provided
that the coordinate system information for the data layers were stored
with the data.
● You converted a vector data file from one coordinate system (WGS84
coordinates) into another coordinate system (Dutch coordinates:
Rijksdriehoekstelsel). Since the vector data file doesn’t have a projection
file (.prj) with the coordinate system information, you first had to
define such a projection file, before you could apply the coordinate
transformation of the vector data file.
● You selected an appropriate map coordinate system for a map of your
continent based on the shape and position of the continent and the
purpose of the map.
● You assigned map coordinates to a scanned map by means of 4 points
with known map coordinates.
● You assigned map coordinates to an aerial photograph by means of a
“world” file, and added the photograph to an existing map (enschede.
mxd) to check the alignment.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 139
Exercise 6

Tabular data and basic queries

Topics:

● Identifying features, interactive spatial selection,

● selection by attribute conditions, joining tables,
● relating tables, summarizing tables.

6.1 Introduction
The department of Urban Planning in Enschede is interested in finding a
suitable location for a new high school. They want to use a GIS for this purpose
and they have asked us to help them out in the initial phase of their study.
The existing dataset contains spatial data on districts, neighbourhoods and
land use and statistical information on population by age category.
We will start by exploring the dataset. The Planning Department is
interested in the number of young people per neighbourhood. We will look at
the population statistics per neighbourhood and see which neighbour have the
largest density in the range of 15 and 19 years old. Once the neighbourhood has
been located, we will provide them with the figures of how much of the area is
covered by the different types of land use. This will help them to identify if the
area is suitable.

The time required to complete these exercises is 120 minutes.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course 03:
Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 6: Tabular data and basic
queries

► Copy the whole folder to your personal directory.

141
6.1 Introduction

Shortcut

1. Explore the features in your map with the identify tool and with interac-
tive spatial selections.
2. Perform a simple query.
3. Create a new table containing codes and descriptions for the Buildings
feature class.
4. Find which neighbourhoods fall within a district by clicking on a district
in the map (via a relate).
5. Extract the population of a neighbourhood (contained in the table
population) by clicking on a neighbourhood in the map (via a join).
6. Select the neighbourhoods with more than 200 people between the ages
15 and 19 and more that 100 people between the ages 10 and 14.
7. Select the neighbourhood with the highest population density for the
15 to 19 years old age range.
8. Calculate the percentage of area covered by the different types of land
use for the selected neighbourhood.

Toolbars and Toolboxes

To follow the proceeding exercises, it is advisable to load the Toolbars listed

below:
● Standard toolbar
● Tool toolbar
● Editor toolbar
● Toolbox: Join and Summary Statistics

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 Exercise 6. Tabular data and basic queries

6.2 Exploring the data

During this exercise, we will learn to obtain information about spatial features,
how to select features from a layer, and how to explore the associated records
within its attribute table.

 Refer to section 6.2.2 of the lecture notes Principles of Geographic

Information Systems.

Identifying features

► Identify features with the Identify tool

□ Start ArcMap and Open a new empty map.

□ Add the following feature classes in this order:

● ‘Districts’ (polygon)
● ‘Neighbourhoods’ (polygon)

They are both contained within the ‘Admin’ feature dataset.

Be aware that the order in which you add the layers matters. The last layer
loaded will be placed at the top of the map, even though you can later organize
the layers inside the table of contents (TOC).

□ Use the identify button [A] to get information from the [A]
‘Neighbourhoods’.

When clicking on any of the neighbourhoods, the Identify Results window

opens. The scrolling box on the right side of the dialog box displays the feature’s
attribute values. The box on the left tells us which layer is being identified. To
avoid scrolling through long lists of attributes on the right side of the Identify
results window, note that the primary display field of the layer is displayed on the
left side of the window. Next, we will explore this option in more detail.

► Set the name of the neighbourhood as the primary display field

□ Close the Identify Results window.

□ Right click on the ‘Neighbourhoods’ layer and click on Properties.

□ Click on the Fields tab and select ‘Neigh_Name’ as the primary display
field (see figure below).

□ Click OK.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 143
6.2 Exploring the data

Fig 6.1:
Layer properties
window.

□ Use the Identify button and click on any of the neighbourhoods in the
map.

Fig 6.2:
Identify Results
window.

 Question 6.1
Why do we get information on ‘Neighbourhoods’ and not on ‘Districts’ if
both layers are turned on in the TOC?

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 Exercise 6. Tabular data and basic queries

 Question 6.2
Can we set inside the Identify Results window to the layer from which we
want to obtain the information?

Interactive Spatial Selection

Another method to extract information about spatial features is by clicking on the

desired element in the map. This will highlight the corresponding record in the
layer’s attribute table.

► Select features with the Select feature tool.

□ Use the Select Feature button [B] and click on one of the neighbourhoods [B]
in the map.

□ Right click on the ‘Neighbourhoods’ layer and select Open Attribute

Table. The corresponding record has been highlighted.

□ Open the attribute table of ‘Districts’. If you scroll through the records
you can see that a district has also been selected. This is because ArcMap
automatically performs this operation in all the visible layers loaded in
the map.

In some cases, we want to choose which layers can have their features selected
when using the Select feature Tool.

► Set selectable layers

□ Click the Selection menu and click on Set Selectable Layers.

□ Uncheck ‘Neighbourhoods’ (see Fig. 6.3).

□ Click on Close.

Fig 6.3:
Set Selectable Layers
window.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 145
6.2 Exploring the data

□ By using the Select feature tool, click on any of the ‘neighbourhoods’.

□ Open the attribute table of ‘Neighbourhoods’.

 Question 6.2 a
Which is the name of the neighbourhood selected?

□ Open the attribute table of ‘Districts’.

 Question 6.2 b
Which is the name of the district selected?

► Clear the selection

□ In the attribute table of ‘Districts’, click on the Options button.

□ Click on Clear Selection.

▐ There is another way to unselect features in the attribute table by right

clicking on the layer’s name and then click on Selection> Clear Selected
features.

Fig 6.4:
Attribute table of
Districts.

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 Exercise 6. Tabular data and basic queries

Perform a basic query

To select features according to properties that we cannot see on a map we can

write a query. A query selects features that meet specified conditions.

► Locate the district with the identifier ‘7’.

□ Click in the Selection menu and click Select By Attributes.

□ In the Select By Attributes dialog, click on the Layer drop-down arrow

and select ‘Districts’.

□ The fields in the attribute table appear in the Fields scrolling box on the
left of the dialog. Double click on [OBJECTID] (in the Unique Values
window the existing OBJECTID values in the attribute table are listed).

□ Select an operator for the query, in this case (=).

□ Double-click on the value ‘7’ from the Unique Values list. The query has
been added to the expression box (see figure below).

□ Click Apply and then close the window.

Fig 6.5:
Select by Attributes
window.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 147
6.3 Create and modify tabular data

The feature in the map and in the attribute table of the Districts layer has been
highlighted.

 Question 6.3
What is the total area of that district? In which units is this value expressed?
Can you check it within ArcMap?

6.3 Create and modify tabular data

The dataset we obtained has some errors. In this exercise, we will identify some
of them and we will make the corrections on the data. We will also modify the
structure of the database to make sure that data entry will be done in a consistent
manner.

Identifying errors

► Sorting the records

□ Remove the layers ‘Neighbourhoods’ and ‘Districts’ from the table of

contents.

□ Add the feature class ‘Buildings’ to the map (you can find it inside the
‘Topography’ feature dataset).

□ Open its attribute table.

□ Click on the attribute type (the column is then selected in blue) and
right click to sort the records by selecting the descending option.

Fig 6.6:
Attribute table of
Buildings.
The attribute Code contains the codes for the features represented in the layer.
The corresponding descriptions of the codes are included in the attribute type.
You can notice that the type storage tank describes two different codes, 1080 and

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 Exercise 6. Tabular data and basic queries

1090. After consulting with the planners from the department we know that this
is a mistake in the dataset, as different codes should have different descriptions.
The code 1090 should be changed to reservoir tank.

► Edit the Buildings table.

□ Click Editor in the Editor toolbar.

□ Select Start editing to modify the values in the attribute table (see Fig.
6.7).

□ Locate the pointer on the type attribute value with Code = 1090.

Fig 6.7:
Editor toolbar

□ Change the description to reservoir tank.

□ Click on Stop Editing from the Editor menu. When prompted to Save
the changes, click on Yes.

Your data has been modified on the disk and the code 1090 now refers to reservoir
tank.

 Question 6. 4
Which SQL query or queries could have been used (though not within
ArcMap) for verifying whether there is a one to one correspondence between
the attributes Code and type of the Buildings table?

Improving the database

In this exercise we will look at the problem of using the attribute table from
‘Buildings’ as it is.
We want to know which features from the layer ‘Buildings’ are considered
buildings (and not storage tanks, for example). By looking at the attribute table
we could:
● Option one: run a query that selects the features where type =
building.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 149
6.3 Create and modify tabular data

● Option two: if we know the code for that particular type, run the query
that selects the features with Code = 1000.

Option one:

► Select the ‘buildings’ based on the type attribute

□ In the Selection menu, click on Select by attributes.

□ In the Select by attributes dialog, click the layer drop-down arrow and
select Buildings (see figure below).

□ The fields in the attribute table appear in the Fields scrolling box on the
left of the dialog. Double click on type.

□ Select an operator for the query, in this case (=).

□ Then type ‘building’.

□ Click Apply and close the window.

□ Open the attribute table of the ‘Buildings’ layer.

Fig 6.8:
Select by Attributes
window.

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 Exercise 6. Tabular data and basic queries

At the bottom of the attribute table, next to the Selected button, we can see how
many records have been selected (12140).

We will now clear the selection and proceed to Option two.

□ Clear the selected records

Fig 6.9:
Attribute table of
Buildings with the
number of records
selected.

Option two:

► Select the buildings based on the Code attribute

□ Make a Selection by Attributes but this time use the expression Code =
1000 (as we know that this code refers to buildings).

* Question 6.5
How many records have been selected?

Can you explain why there’s a difference in count if both options were
selecting buildings?

Create a new table

► Sorting the records

□ Clear the selected records.

□ Select the type field in the ‘Buildings’ attribute table and sort the records
choosing the ascending option.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 151
6.3 Create and modify tabular data

If you look carefully at the first value, you see a spelling mistake. Instead of
‘building’, the operator that entered the data typed ‘building’.

Fig 6.10:
Identified error.

► Correct the error

To avoid possible typing mistakes in entering data, thus restricting the descriptions
and the allowed codes to the current classification, we will create a look up table for
the layer ‘Buildings’ (although the value restrictions can be enforced by other means
within ArcMap). This will result in the layer’s attribute table containing only the
allowed codes and the newly created table storing the description of each code.
We can create new tables in a geodatabase. This is done inside ArcCatalog.

► Create a new table in ArcCatalog

□ Save your document and close ArcMap.

□ Open ArcCatalog.

□ In the ArcCatalog tree, right-click the geodatabase we are using for

these exercises.

□ Point to New.

□ Click on Table.

Fig 6.11:
Create a new table in
ArcCatalog.

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 Exercise 6. Tabular data and basic queries

□ Type the name Buildings_LUT for the table.

□ Click on Next.

□ Click on Next to accept the default configuration.

□ To add a field to the table, click on the row in the Field Name column,
and then type Code. (This field will contain the codes from the Buildings
table.)

□ Click on the Data Type column next to the new field’s name and then
select Short Integer.

□ Repeat the last two steps and create a new field called Description with
data type Text (this field will store the description of the codes).

□ Click on Finish.

□ Close ArcCatalog.

Fig 6.12:
Table Properties
window.

If you have entered a field that you do not want to include in the new table, select
it by clicking in the grid and then press the Delete key.

► Fill the newly created table inside ArcMap

□ Open your document in ArcMap.

□ Add the table Buildings_LUT to the TOC.

□ Open the table.

□ Start an edit session in ArcMap by clicking Start Editing in the Editor

from the Editor toolbar.

□ Enter the following values:

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 153
6.3 Create and modify tabular data

Fig 6.13:
Buildings_LUT

□ Once you have finished entering the values, click on the Editor menu
and select Stop Editing.

□ Click on Yes to save changes.

□ Close ArcMap.

When we build a new table, ArcGIS creates a new attribute automatically

(OBJECTID) and “forces” us to use it as the primary key for the relation (although
we would like to have the existing Code attribute as the primary key!). We will use
the OBJECTID attribute from the Buildings_LUT as a foreign key in the Buildings
table. We will still maintain the Code attribute in the Buildings_LUT table as
it contains important information (these codes are used by the Netherlands’
Topographic Institute).

► Create a new field in the Buildings table called New_Code [Think of the
data type for this new attribute!]

► Add the new codes to the Buildings table

□ Open your document in ArcMap.

□ Open the ‘Building’ attribute and start an Edit Session.

□ Perform a Selection by Attributes to highlight the features of type

‘building’ in the attribute table.

□ Right click the field heading New_Code and click on Calculate Values.
(Fig. 6.14)

□ Type the value of the OBJECTID (from the Buildings_LUT) assigned to

the building description (Fig. 6.15).

► Add the remaining codes to the New_Code attribute in the Buildings

table and stop the edit session saving the changes.

► Remove the type and the Code attributes from the Buildings table.

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 Exercise 6. Tabular data and basic queries

Fig 6.14:
Calculate Values
for the New_Code
attribute.

Fig 6.15:
Values for the New_
Code attribute

□ Close ArcMap.

□ Open ArcCatalog.

□ Select the geodatabase for this exercise in the ArcCatalog tree.

□ Right click on the Buildings feature class and select Properties.

□ Select the Fields tab.

□ Select the type field by clicking its tab in the grid (your cursor will
change to a black arrow and the whole line will be highlighted). Then
press the Delete key.

□ Delete also the Code field.

□ Click on OK to close the window. The changes have now been made in
the database.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 155
6.4 Joining, relating tables and performing queries

In this exercise we have created a look up table for the feature class ‘Buildings’
describing the codes. The purpose is to restrict the new codes that we enter to those
codes for which we have a description of. These ones are the only permitted values
for the attribute. Up until now we have not established any integrity constraint rule.

There is one way to restrict the values allowed in any particular attribute within
ArcGIS, without creating a look up table. This is done via attribute domains, inside
ArcCatalog. In our case we could have created a Coded value domain for the
Code attribute in the Buildings feature class to specify the valid set of values for
this attribute. The coded value domain would have included both the actual code
that is stored in the database (for example, 1000 for building) and a more user-
friendly description of what that value actually means (for example, building). In
this exercise we have not and we will not discuss this option.

 Question 6.6
Now that the new table has been created, can you describe the relationship
between these two tables (Buildings and Buildings_LUT) in a simple
diagram or words?

6.4 Joining, relating tables and performing queries

In this exercise we will:
● Join and relate multiple tables.
● Select features by querying the attribute table of the layer.
● Finding features.

 Refer to Principles of GIS, Chapter 3. In particular on section 3.4

Database management systems. Furthermore, review the materials
from the database module.

When we need information that is not in the current table but in another, we can
link these tables together based on a common attribute. This is possible when a
common attribute exists in the tables.

Let us take the example from the previous exercise. We have created a new table
(Buildings_LUT) that contains the codes plus the description extracted from the
original Buildings table. In this case, we have two tables that are related to each
other by the attributes OBJECTID and New_Code. In the Buildings_LUT the
OBJECTID is the primary key and in the Buildings table, the New_Code attribute
has the role of foreign key. Thus, these two tables can be linked to each other to
extract information. For example, we may click on one of the buildings and see
what type of building has been selected.

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In ArcMap you can establish this kind of link by either joining or relating tables.

Join: When we join two tables we append the attributes from one to the other
based on a common attribute.
We can join two tables when the data in the tables has a one-to-one or a
many-to-one relationship. For example, we have a layer showing neighbourhood
locations and a table with the statistic figures for each of them (one-to-one
relationship). Or we have the same layer with neighbourhoods and another layer
with districts. In this case, as many neighbourhoods are in the same district we
say that both layers have a many-to-one relationship.

Relate: Relating tables defines a relationship between two tables—also based on

a common field—but does not append the attributes of one to the other. Instead,
we can access the related data when necessary.
We may want to relate two tables when the data in the tables has a one-
to-many or many-to-many relationship. For example, the relationship between
districts and neighbourhoods is a one-to-many relationship as one district
contains many neighbourhoods. We can also have a layer with parcels and a table
of owners. A parcel may have more than one owner, and an owner may own
more than one parcel. Because the relationship is a many-to-many relationship,
we can relate the data.

Relating tabular data

In this exercise we are going to relate the attribute tables from ‘Districts’ and
‘Neighbourhoods’ to know which neighbourhoods fall within a certain district.

► Performing a relate

□ In ArcMap, add the feature classes ‘Districts’ and ‘Neighbourhoods’ to

the TOC.

□ In the TOC right-click on the layer ‘Districts’, point to Joins and Relates,
and click on Relate.

□ Click the dropdown arrow to choose the field in this layer that the
‘relate’ will be based on. Click on the field ‘District_Id’ (it contains the
identifiers of the districts).

□ Click the second dropdown arrow and click the layer

‘Neighbourhoods’.

□ Click the third dropdown arrow and select the field District_Id.

□ Type ‘Districts_Neighbourhoods’ as the name for the relate output.

► Accessing the related records

□ Open the attribute table of ‘Districts’ (this is the layer for which you
have set up the relate).

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6.4 Joining, relating tables and performing queries

□ Select the district with District_Id = 6 by clicking the leftmost column

adjacent to it.

□ Click on the Options button inside the attribute table, point to Related
Tables, and click on ‘Districts_Neighbourhoods’.

□ The table from ‘Neighbourhoods’ displays with the related records

selected.

 Question 6.7
Write the names of the selected neighbourhoods.

► Removing the relate

□ Clear the selection in both layers.

□ Right-click on the layer Districts.

□ Point to Joins and Relates> Remove Relate(s)> ‘Districts_

Neighbourhoods’.

 Question
Can you make a selection of the neighborhoods belonging to a certain
district by a spatial operation and not based on a common field in both
tables? Write down the topological operation that you would use.

Joining tabular data

In the last exercise we have related tabular data. When relating data we make
connections between the tables, but keep the tables separate. When we want
to display all the attributes from both tables we make use of joins. The result is
one table with information from the tables involved in the join. We can then run
queries to extract useful information. The join can be performed either using the
toolbox or by selecting the layer and right-clicking (context menu).

▐ Do not forget the type of relationship between the layers you want to join.
For example, when performing a join between two layers with a one-to-many
relationship, only the first matching record on the ‘many side’ will be joined
to the table.

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In this exercise we will extract statistical information of the neighbourhoods in

Enschede.

► Exploring statistical data

□ Add the ‘population’ table from the current geodatabase.

The table ‘population’ contains information about population of the

‘neighbourhoods’ in Enschede by age category.

 Question
How many records does this table have?

If we open the attribute table of the ‘Neighbourhoods’ layer we find an attribute

called ‘Neighb_ID’ containing the values of the ‘OBJECTID’ attribute from the
‘population’ table. This attribute is acting as a foreign key and it refers to the
‘Neighb_ID’ attribute in the ‘population’ table (again, we are “forced” by ArcGIS
to have it this way!)

 Question
How many records does this table have?

We will make use of these common attributes to join the data from both tables and
extract population information from the ‘Neighbourhood’s layer.

 Question
How many records do you expect after performing the join?

► Performing the join

□ Go to the Toolbox and select Join from the Data Management Tools and
select Add Join (see Figure 6.16).

□ The Add Join Window opens (Figure 6.17).

□ Specify as the Layer to select the ‘Neighbourhood’.

□ Choose the field ‘Neighb_ID’ for the join.

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6.4 Joining, relating tables and performing queries

Fig 6.16:
Creating a join.

□ Choose the table ‘population’ (this is the table we want to join to the
‘Neighbourhoods’ layer).

□ Select ‘OBJECTID’ as the field to base the join.

□ Click OK.

Fig 6.17:
Join data window.

The result after the join operation is the attribute table of ‘Neighbourhoods’
containing its original fields and the fields from the ‘population’ table. You could
have also performed the join by right-click to the ‘Neighbourhood’ layer and
selecting Join.

► Selecting neighbourhoods based on their population

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The department wants to select neighbourhoods with a high number of young

people. More precisely, the ones with more than 200 people for the 15 and 19
years old age range (contained in the attribute B1519_98).

□ Open the attribute table of ‘Neighbourhoods’.

□ In the menu, click on Selection> Select by attributes.

□ Select those records where Population.B1519_98 > 200. [Be careful with
the spaces while typing the expression. There should be one space
before and after the operator >].

□ Click on Apply.

The neighbourhoods satisfying that condition have been selected in the map and
in the attribute table of the layer.

If we want to know which of the these selected neighbourhoods has the highest
young population:

□ In the attribute table of Neighbourhoods click on the button ‘Selected’.

Only the selected records are displayed.

□ Right-click on the attribute header Population .B1519_98 and select Sort

Descending.

Fig 6.18:
Sorting records.

 Question
What is the name of the neighbourhood?

From the resulting records, they are also interested in selecting those areas with
more than 100 people between 10 and 14 years old.

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6.4 Joining, relating tables and performing queries

► Neighbourhoods with more than 200 people between the ages 15 and
19 and more than 100 people between the ages 10 and 14.

□ In the menu Selection, click on Select by attributes.

□ Make sure you are querying the layer Neighbourhoods.

□ In the drop down menu Method, select Select from the current
selection.

□ Type the expression population.B1014_98 > 100.

□ Click Apply.

 Question
Can you build an expression in the Select by attributes window that
performs the same selection but in one go, only using the Method: Create a
new selection?

The department is more interested in the density of young population per

neighbourhood. Therefore, we need the relation between young people and the
area of the neighbourhood. We can calculate those values from the existing data.

► Population density for the 15 to 19 years old age range

□ Clear the selected records.

□ Save your map document.

□ Close ArcMap and open ArcCatalog.

□ In the ArcCatalog tree, select the geodatabase you are using for the
exercises.

□ Right-click on the feature class Neighbourhoods.

□ Choose Properties and click on the Fields tab.

□ Add a new field called Densyoung (at the bottom of the existing fields
list). Do not forget to set the Double data type.

□ Click on OK.

□ Close ArcCatalog and return to the saved map in ArcMap.

□ In ArcMap, add the feature class Neighbourhoods to the TOC.

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□ Perform the join between the population table and the attribute table of
Neighbourhoods. Then open the attribute table of Neighbourhoods.

□ Start an edit session by clicking on the Editor menu > Start editing.

□ Right-click on the field Neighbourhoods.Densyoung.

□ Select Calculate Values.

□ In the field calculator window type the expression: [population.B1519_

98] / [Neighbourhoods.Shape_Area] * 1000000

□ Click on Apply.

□ Stop the Edit session saving the edits.

This new field stores the density of people between 15 and 19 years old (population
per km2).

 Question
Which is the name of the neighbourhood with the highest population
density in that age range? Highlight it in the map.

▐ In this exercise we have decided to store a derived attribute. Be aware

that any updates in the population.B1519_98 or in the Neighbourhoods.
Shape_Area attribute values will not automatically update the values of the
Neighbourhoods.Densyoung attribute!

6.5 Summarizing tables

The selected neighbourhood is now highlighted in the map. The Urban planning
department wants to know which type of land use exists in the neighbourhood
and the percentage of area that is covered by each of them. We will first select the
land uses that fall within the selected neighbourhood.

► Land use areas within the neighbourhood

□ Add the feature class Land_Use from the geodatabase (it is contained in
the Topography feature dataset).

□ Click on the Selection menu > Select by Location.

□ Specify that we want to Select features from the layer Land_Use, that
are completely within the features in the layer ‘Neighbourhoods’. Make
sure that the Use selected features box is checked.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 163
6.5 Summarizing tables

□ Click on Apply and close the window.

Fig 6.19:
Select by Location
window.

► Calculate the total area covered by the different types of land use.

□ Open the attribute table of Land_Use.

□ Click on the Selected button. Only the land use areas contained in the
selected neighbourhood are shown.

□ Activate the type field and right click to select Summarize.

□ In the first drop down menu select the field type (this is the field we
want to summarize).

□ Check the box Sum within Shape_Area (this is the summary statistics
we want to include in the output table).

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□ Type the name and location of the output table you want to create (we
will save the table inside the same geodatabase).

□ Make sure that the box Summarize on the selected records only is
checked.

□ Click on OK.

Fig 6.20:
Summarize window.

 Question
How much area does the different types of land use cover?

 Question
Try to use Summary Statistics from the Toolbox. Is it possible to summarize
for selected features?

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 165
6.6 Challanges

 Question
Which SQL query could have been used (though not within ArcMap) to
perform this selection?

 Question
Write down the percentage of the total area of the neighborhood covered by
the different types of land use.

6.6 Challenges

► Challenge 1:

In section 6.3 we have created the new table Buildings_LUT and entered the
values manually. Imagine we had a long list of codes and descriptions. Which SQL
query could we use (though not within ArcMap) to select the distinct codes and
descriptions from the original Buildings table and directly fill in the Buildings_
LUT? Write down the SQL statement you would use in your query.

► Challenge 2:

In section 6.3 we have also manually update the attribute New_Code in the
Buildings’ table with the OJECTID values from the Buildings_LUT table. Which
SQL query could we use (though not within ArcMap) to perform this update?

► Challenge 3:

Can you provide the Urban Planning department with the name of the
neighborhood (and district) with the highest density of population within the
category of 15 and 24 years old?

► Challenge 4:

We want to select districts in the map and have the related neighborhoods with
their population values displayed automatically. Which operations can you use
to accomplish this task?

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6.7 Summary
In these exercises we have seen several ways to retrieve information about features.
We have clicked on features to display their attributes. This is called identifying
features. We have clicked on features to select them and look at their records in
the layer attribute table. This is called interactive spatial selection. We have also
written queries that automatically select features meeting specific criteria. This is
called selection by attribute conditions. We have learned how these operations
can be carried out in ArcMap.

We have identified that the data in the database was not consistent. We have
learned how to modify tabular data and how to create a new table to improve the
structure of the existing database.

But not all the needed information was found in the attribute table of the feature.
We had statistical information related to the spatial neighbourhoods. This table
with non-spatial properties has been associated with the layer attribute table.
We have looked at joining and relating tables and the difference between these
operations.

To go deeply into extracting information from our features we have also learned
how to summarize the data by creating a summary table.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 167
Exercise 7

Spatial queries

Topics:

Selection of features based on distance, selection of features that are inside other
features, selection of features that overlap with other features and joining attributes
based on spatial relations (spatial join).

7.1 Introduction
In this exercise we will practice the analytical functions of GIS, as illustrated in
Chapter 5 of the book “Principles of Geographic Information Systems”. We will
start with spatial queries, and later in Exercise 8, we will discuss measurement
operations.

You will learn how to:

● Select features by location using topological relationships.
● Display statistics of selected features.
● Save selected features in separate files or layers.
● Perform selection based on multiple criteria (by attributes and by
location).

Perform combined tasks consisting of:

● Combined spatial queries.
● Field summary calculation.
● Join of the summary calculation results to the attributes of a feature
class.
● Selection of the features based on the join.

The time required to complete these exercises is 90 minutes.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course 03:
Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 7: Spatial queries/Data.

► Copy the geodatabase to your personal directory.

169
7.1 Introduction

 Please refer to section 6.2.2 “Spatial Selection queries” of the textbook

for the theoretical background for this exercise.

Shortcut

1. Select all buildings that are within 200 meters of a railway.

2. What is the average area of the selected buildings?
3. Export the selected features to a new feature class.
4. Make a new selection including all buildings that are located in district
0 (zero).
5. Select all buildings within the Enschede area that are located in district
0 (zero), at a distance of 200 meters from the railway and within 100
meters of a main road.
6. Select all business areas that:
● Touch water areas.
● Contain water areas.
● Intersect water areas.
7. Use a spatial join to know in which neighbourhoods the public objects
are located.

Toolbars

In order to follow this and the proceeding exercises, it is advisable to load the
following toolbars:
● Main Menu
● Standard
● Tools
● Draw
● Layout

Below you see the interface elements that you will use quite often during these
exercises:

Fig. 7.1:
Useful tools & menus

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 Exercise 7. Spatial queries

The following tools can be useful once you have performed a selection:
1. Zoom to selected features:
2. Switch selection
3. Clear selection

Fig 7.2a:
Zoom to selected from
Selection menu

Fig 7. 2b:
Use the context menu
to zoom to selected,
switch selection and
select all.

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7.2 Spatial Selection Queries

7.2 Spatial Selection Queries

Before you start these exercises please refer to what you have learned in Exercise
6 “Tabular data & basic queries”:
● Set the interactive selection method
● Set selectable layers
● Select by attributes
● Interactive spatial selection

We are now going to introduce one more type of selection called Spatial Selection
Queries. These selection queries use topological relationships.

Fig 7.3:
Topological
relationships.

The figure above is taken from Chapter 2 of the book “Principles of GIS”. It shows
the topological relationships. You will use these relationships to make selections.
For example: “ Select all public objects that are inside the district number 5, or
select all neighbourhoods that meet (are adjacent to) the one already selected”.
The result of these operations is always a selection.
However, these relationships are not always applicable to all the feature
types, for example, a point can not contain line or polygon features, it can only
meet or intersect them.

ArcGIS includes 11 spatial relationships; each of these is a variation on the

basic topological relationships shown in figure 7.3.

► When you use the “Select by Location” dialog, a dropdown menu will
allow you to select these 11 topological relationships.

 Question 7.1
Can you relate them with the ones that have been discussed during the
lectures? You can use table 7.1 to write down your answers.

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ArcGIS Theory
Intersect

Are within a distance of

Completely contain
Are completely within
Have their center in
Share a line segment with
Touch the boundary of
Are identical to
Are crossed by the outline of
Contain
Are contained by
Table 7.1

 Refer to Spatial selection queries (section 6.2.2) in the lecture notes and
to Topological relationships (section 2.2.4).

▐ The topological relationships of Figure 7.3 can be investigated using the

spatial queries in ArcMap. You will find the same dataset as in Figure 7.3 in
the ArcMap document called “Spatial Relationships Test.mxd” in the folder
Exercise07-->SpatialRelationships.

► Create a new empty map

□ Start ArcMap and see that by default the option “A new empty map” is
chosen. Accept it (OK).

□ Checkmark the following Toolbars: Main Menu, Standard, Tools, Draw

and Layout (Tip: use View menu)

□ From the Geodatabase in the folder Exercise07-Data add the fol-lowing

feature classes to the new map:
● Special_Buildings (points)
● Railway (lines)
● Main_Roads (lines)
● Buildings (polygons)
● Districts (polygons)
● Neighbourhoods (polygons)
● Water_areas (polygons)
● Business_areas (polygons)

□ Check the map and display units to assure correct calculations.

□ Save the map as “Spatial_Queries_map”.

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7.2 Spatial Selection Queries

Select features by location

► Select all the buildings that are within 200 meters from the railway

□ From the selection menu, choose Select by Location

□ Fill the fields as shown in Fig. 2.4

▐ Notice that the checkbox “Use selected features” is greyed out. You are using
the whole railways feature class as base reference to measure the required
distance, and thus, for the entire selection process.

Fig.7.4:
Select By Location

As a result you should see the polygons of the selected buildings highlighted on
the screen.

Display statistics for the selected features

Fig.7.5:
Conceptual Model:
Spatial Selection

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 Exercise 7. Spatial queries

 Question 7.2
What is the average area of the building located within 200m from the
railway?

□ Go to the Selection menu and click Statistics.

□ In the Layer dropdown arrow you will see the names of all layers that
contain selected features. In this case you should see “Buildings”

□ Click the Field dropdown arrow and choose the field “Shape_Area”.
The statistics display.

Write down the average area of those buildings:

Save selected features

Often you may want to save your selection in a separate file to work on it outside
the current map. The following options are available in ArcGIS:
● Save only the attributes of the selected features in a separate table.
● Save the geometry together with the attributes. This can be done in two
ways:
o by exporting them to a feature class in a geodatabase (or to other
data formats as shapefiles or coverages)
o or by simply creating a new layer file containing the selected
features.

These options are accessible in ArcGIS through the Context Menu. Right click on
the layer containing the selected features (in our case “Buildings”) in the table of
contents.

For this exercise, you will save the selected buildings in both ways and compare
the difference in data sources

► Export the selected features

□ Right-click the “Buildings” layer, go to Data menu option, and click on

Export Data.

□ The dialog box “Export Data” opens. Choose the options as in Fig 7.6.

□ Click on the folder button to

● choose the output data type and
● navigate to the location where you want to store your output.

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7.2 Spatial Selection Queries

Fig 7.6:
Export Data method

□ Select “Personal Geodatabase feature classes” in the “Save as type”

pulldown options.

□ Browse to the geodatabase in which you store your output data.

□ Give a meaningful name to the new feature class e.g. Buildings_

200mRail.

□ Remember to answer “Yes” to the question “Do you want to add the
exported data to the map as a layer?”

The example of the save dialog looks like this:

Fig 7.7:
Saving data during
export operation.

► Create a new layer from the selected features

□ In the table of contents right-click the layer Buildings and point to

Selection.

□ Go to “Create Layer From Selected Features”. The new layer is added

to the map.

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 Exercise 7. Spatial queries

 Question 7.3
Compare the information provided in the “Source” tab of the “Properties…”
window of both the exported features and the saved layer. What differences
can you observe?

► Combine attribute selection and spatial selection.

► Select buildings in Enschede located in district no.0 (zero)

□ Use the attribute query option to select the district (use the field Distr_
ID).

□ Select by location all the features from “Buildings” that are completely
within the selected district. Mark the check box “use selected features”
(note the information “1 feature selected”)

Figure 7.8:
Conceptual Model.
Combined attribute
selection and spatial
selection

Combined attribute and location query with specified selection meth-

od

In the “Select by Location” dialog you can specify the selection method using the
“I want to:” pull down list. Selection methods include:
● Select features from
● Add to the currently selected features in
● Remove from the currently selected features in
● Select from the currently selected features in
These options are used to combine the results of two or more queries.

► Select the buildings in Enschede located in district no.0 (zero), and which
are within 200m from the railways and 100 meters from main roads

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7.2 Spatial Selection Queries

▐ For the selection of buildings within 200m from the railways you can follow
the same steps as in the exercise Select features by location.

□ Select by location the buildings within 200m from railways.

□ Use an attribute query to select the district (you may probably have
it already selected from the previous exercise). If needed refer to the
previous exercise.

□ Start a new “Select by location” to sub-select the buildings completely

within the selected district. Fill the dialog box in as follows:

Fig 7.9 :
Select by Location
using Selection
Method

► Repeat the “Select by location” procedure in order to sub-select these

buildings that are within 100m from the main roads.

□ Set the selection method to “Select from the currently selected features
in”.

□ Select from “Buildings” the features that are within 100m from the main
roads.

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▐ The most difficult part of combined spatial and attribute selections

is not the technical execution of the queries but splitting up your
question in the necessary subqueries and determining the order
in which to perform these subqueries. If you think that you will
need more practice you will find extra questions in the challenges.
Hint: Build conceptual schemas before executing the queries.

 Question 7.4
Using the same selection dialog box, select all business areas:
A) Touching Water Areas (are there any?)
B) Containing Water Areas
C) That intersect Water Areas

What differences do you see? Try to organise your map so that the water_
areas are on top of the business_areas.

Join attributes by location

You can use topological relationships also in a different way. This operation will
not make a spatial selection but will join the attributes of the features in one layer
to features in another layer (e.g.: you may want to find in which neighbourhoods
are the public objects located). This is called a spatial join.
The added information consists of all attribute values for the joined feature
class. This information will be displayed when clicking on a feature with the
Information Tool.

▐ Note that this topic is out of sequence. It is a join and not a spatial selection.
The topic was put in here for comparison reasons. Notice the way the
topological relationships are used and compare with the spatial selections.

► Spatial Join

□ Open the attribute table of “Special_Buildings” and check the available

fields. There is no field that contains information on a neighbourhood
the object is in.

□ Right-click on the “Special_Buildings” points layer in the table of

contents. Point to Joins and Relates and click Join.

□ From a dropdown arrow select: “Join data from another layer based on
spatial location”. This other layer is the “Neighbourhoods” layer that
has the information on the neighbourhood name.

□ Choose the Neighbourhood layer under step 1.

□ Check the “it falls inside” option under the step 2.

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7.2 Spatial Selection Queries

[Read the explanation to understand the difference in joining by closest

distance and by containment]

□ Under the step 3. name the output feature class in your geodatabase
and click OK.

□ Check the attribute table of the output layer. This now contains all the
information from both Special_Buildings and Neighbourhoods.

Fig 7.10:
Spatial Join dialog box

 Question 7.5
Select all the business areas containing more than 15 buildings. Fig. 7.11
shows the conceptual model to help you out:

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Figure 7.11:
Conceptual Model.
Combined Spatial
join with attribute
operations

7.3 Challenges
The challenges below consist of questions and exercises. These are more complex
than the Assignments that you have done in this Exercise so far. These exercises
may include skills that you have learned in previous exercises. The results of these
challenges will be made available to you via Blackboard.
If you are running out of time, you may skip the challenges and start with
Exercise 8.

► Challenge 1:

Is it possible to complete the following challenge by only using selection

techniques?
Selecting all the police stations in the district no 0 that are 5 kilometers or
less away from a religious building.

► Challenge 2:

Question: When you check one of the options under the “Interactive Selection
Method“ in the “Selection” menu, how does this affect the selection method of the
“Select by attribute” and “Select by Location”?

► Challenge 3:

Use a selection to identify all utility_pipes that run through more than one
neighbourhood.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 181
7.4 Summary

► Challenge 4:

Suppose you have to update an attribute table of roads adding the field Type.
Assume that you DO NOT have the TDNcode field in the attribute table of roads.
The values given in the new Type field should reflect the Type values of underlying
polygon feature class “road_infill”. How would you do it using the spatial and
attribute queries? Is it possible to use Spatial Join? Draw a conceptual schema.

► Challenge 5:

ITC wants to build up a new big parking plot. It should be located close to the
ITC building and it should be placed on the land available for the development.
Measure the summary area of these business_areas that are located within 100m
distance from ITC building, is there any such land available?

7.4 Summary
In this chapter you have studied Spatial Queries. From what you have studied,
you should now have the following skills/knowledge:

Spatial Queries
● Perform Spatial Selections based on topological relationships.
● Combine Attribute queries and spatial queries.
● Perform a Spatial Join.
● You are aware of the difference between a spatial selection and a spatial
join (they produce different types of output).
● You are aware of the similarities between the spatial query and the
spatial join (both use topological relationships).

► After all the work, you may want to look at the report that you can
generate from the history files. You have already done this in chapter 9.

□ Generate a report of the geo-processing operations you performed

during this exercise.

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Exercise 8

Measurement operations

Topics:

Visualization of coordinates on the desktop, adding coordinates to attribute table,

use of the measurement tool, calculation of feature length in an attribute field,
bounding boxes, point to point distance calculation.

8.1 Introduction
In this exercise we will practice the analytical functions of GIS, as illustrated in
Chapter 6 of the book “Principles of Geographic Information Systems”. These
exercises are based on section 6.2.1 “Measurements on vector data”.

The time required to complete these exercises is 60 minutes.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course
03: Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 8: Measurement
operations/Data.

► Copy the whole content of the folder to your personal directory.

Shortcut

1. Explore the X,Y coordinates of map features.

2. Store X,Y coordinates in the attribute table of a point feature class
3. Create a centroid point file for the ITC building
4. Calculate distance between ITC and special buildings
5. Interactive length measurements.
6. Store length values for the features in a Shapefile by writing VBA
code.
7. Create layer with bounding boxes for areas surrounding ITC

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8.1 Introduction

Toolbars and Toolboxes

In order to follow these exercises, it is advisable to have the following toolbars

visible:
● Main Menu
● Standard
● Tools
● Editor

Below you see the interface elements that you will use quite often during the
following exercises:

Fig. 8.1:
Useful tools & menus

We will also use tools from ArcToolbox.

From the Data Management Tools, from the Features toolset we will use the
following tools:
● Add XY Coordinates
● Feature To Point
● Feature Envelop to Polygon

Fig. 8.2:
Data Management
tools

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 Exercise 8. Measurement operations

From the Analysis Tools under the toolset Proximity we will use the following
tool:
● Point Distance

Fig. 8.3:
Analysis tool-proximity

8.2 Measurement functions

Geometric measurement calculation is one of the fundamental operations
provided in any GIS package. Scale, distance, area and position measurements are
the most basic operations that are commonly based on paper maps; GIS packages
implement their digital counterparts.

In the vector data environment, base geographic features are represented by

points, lines and polygons. Different types of measurements are provided for
these feature types:
● Point-based measurements:
o Location (reading coordinates)
o Distance between two points
● Line-based measurements:
o Length
o Centroid
o Distance between two lines
o Minimal bounding boxes
● Polygon-based measurements
o Area
o Perimeter
o Centroid
o Distance between two polygons
o Minimal bounding boxes

We will discuss them in the following exercises.

 Refer to the paragraph 6.2.1 of the lecture notes Principles of GIS.

ArcMap provides simple functions to calculate most of the measurements. The
results of automatic calculations are accessible in two ways:
● Interactively, in the status bar located at the bottom of the ArcMap
window.
● Through the values stored in the geodatabase in the attribute table of a
feature class.
In this exercise, you will practice several ways of performing measurements.

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8.2 Measurement functions

▐ IMPORTANT: In order to allow GIS software to derive correct

measurements, the proper UNITS (i.e. meters, feet) have to be set in the
Display box in the Data Frame Properties. You can do it in the phase of data
preparation, however the units can be set only if the map projection is known.
ArcGIS help states explicitly: “If you need to make precise measurements on
your map, you should choose a Projected Coordinate system.”

 Refer to the Exercise 5 and Chapter 4.2 of the book “Principles of

Geographic Information Systems” for more information on coordinate
systems and cartographic projections.

Introduction Exercise

► Create a new empty map, load the data, and set the appropriate units

□ Start ArcMap and choose the default option “A new empty map” .
Accept it (OK).

□ From the folder that contains the geodatabase for exercise 8, add the
following feature classes to the (yet empty) Map:
● Main_roads (polylines),
● Special_buildings (points),
● Buildings (polygons),
● Land_Use (polygons)
● Railways.shp.

▐ Although you will find a Railways feature class in the geodatabase, for this
exercise you will need the Shapefile version.

When necessary rearrange the layers and make them visible.

We will now first check the settings of the units.

□ Choose “Data Frame Properties” from the View menu; choose the
“General” tab. Under the heading “Units” check whether the units for
both Map and Display are set to “Meters”.

Map Units determine the units of the Data Frames (views). ArcMap uses the setting
to determine the correct scale of your view. When the data is already projected,
ArcGIS fills the Map units textbox automatically, and the text box is greyed out.
If no projection is set, Map Units should be set (by the user) to the units of your
base data.

The Display Units textbox determines the units in which dimensions and
measurements in the view will be displayed in the ArcMap status bar.
If no projection is set, the default Display Units are set to unknown.
You can set the Display Units after the Map Units have been set. Units
CANNOT remain “unknown” if you want to make measurements!

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□ Change the Name: “Layers” into “Measurement View” and click Apply
and OK.

□ Save the map as Measurements_map.mxd.

Point measurements

The x,y coordinates are measured in the Display units set in the Data Frame
Properties.

► Explore x,y coordinates

□ Move your cursor and see how the x,y coordinates change in the status
bar (look at the bottom-right corner of the ArcMap window).

□ Zoom in and out and observe the changes of the map scale value in the
tool bar.

Fig. 8.4:
Point measurement

The XY values are stored with your data layers but are not visible in the layers
attribute table. You may want to include the XY values of the features in the
attribute table of the feature class. If that is the case, you have to create new
attributes in the attribute table of the feature class and fill it with the values of the
coordinates.

►Add XY field

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8.2 Measurement functions

□ First open the attribute table of the “Special_buildings” layer to confirm

that this table does not contain a field for the X and Y coordinates. You
can close the attribute table again.

□ Go to ArcToolbox and click Data Management Tools – Features – Add

XY Coordinates. ArcCatalog should be closed!

□ Select the layer “Special_buildings” as the input layer and click OK.

□ When ready, close the progress window and check the new fields in the
attribute table.

Fig 8.5:
Data management
tools in ArcToolbox

► Measure between two points.

When you want to measure between two points you can use your measurement
tool and draw a line between these points to obtain the distance (see status bar,
bottom left corner).

There is also another method which we are going to use here. We will use the Point
distance tool to measure (and store) the distance between ITC and the special
buildings. The special buildings are already stored as points, but the ITC building
is currently stored as polygon. We will create a new layer (from the building layer)
containing ONLY the centroid of the ITC building. We do this because we want to
measure from point to point.

You will first create the ITC_point layer containing the centroid. Just like
coordinates, the centroid is a location property of the vector feature (see page 153
of your core book).

□ Go to the Building layer and select the ITC building.

□ Go to ArcToolbox – Data Management Tools – Features – Feature to

Point tools and double click to open the tool dialog.

□ Input feature is your Buildings layer, output is new layer “ITC_point”.

□ Click OK to execute, close the progress window when ready.

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 Exercise 8. Measurement operations

Examine your result. Note that the ITC point (centroid) is actually outside the
building polygon.

Fig 8.6:
Centroid point and the
ITC building polygon

You will now calculate the distance from the ITC point to your special buildings.

□ Go to ArcToolbox and select “Analysis Tools – Proximity – Point

Distance”.

□ Input file is ITC_point, “Near features” are the features is the Special_
buildings layer.

□ Specify the output file name and click OK. You can close the progress
window when finished.

Fig 8.7:
Point distance dialog

□ When you click the Source tab (under your table of content) you see
that an extra table was added to your map document. Open the table
and check its content.

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8.2 Measurement functions

When you look at the table you will see that it contains 43 records. This is the
number of special buildings. The “Near_FID” is the ID of the special buildings.
The distance field contains the distance of the buildings to ITC.

Fig 8.8:
Output Point distance
operation

You can check the distance between ITC and one of the special buildings by using
your measurement tool and then compare the distance with the distance in the
table.

Interactive line measurements

► Line measurement. Use the measure tool to measure length (distance).

□ Activate the Measurement tool.

□ Use the mouse to draw a line (single click to change direction, double
click to end the line). Draw the line from DISH hotel to the ITC
building.

□ Check the result in the status bar.

▐ If you are using global data in decimal degrees, and you’ve set your map and
distance units, the Measure tool will return the shortest spherical distance
(which is given in angular units referred to geographic coordinates) between
the two points you click.

The Statusbar shows both the length of the last segment you have drawn and the
total length of the line drawn on the map.
The segment length is the Euclidian distance between two consecutive
vertices along the line and the total length is the sum of all the lengths of the
segments that form the line.

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Fig.8.9:
Line measurement with
the Measurement tool

Line measurements - Length

The default, attribute tables of line and polygon feature classes in a geodatabase
include the field “Shape Length”. In this field, length values of single features
are stored; you do not have the possibility to edit them. You can see such a shape
length field when you open the attribute table of Main_roads.

However, for features that are NOT contained in a geodatabase (but, for example,
in Shapefiles) you will usually NOT find the length information in their attribute
tables.

We will compute the length of such features and store the values in the attribute
table.

► Length calculation

□ Open the attribute table of railways.shp and Add a new field.

□ Fill in the Add Field dialogbox as follows: Name: NewLength ; Type:

double. Click OK.

□ Start editing (from the Editor menu, in the Editor toolbar); Choose the
Shapefile as the layer you want to edit. fig.8.10:
Field Definition
□ Move the cursor over the header of the NewLength field and right click window.
to open the context menu. Choose: Calculate Values.

□ In the Field Calculator wizard checkmark: Advanced and fill in the

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 191
8.2 Measurement functions

fields exactly as shown in Fig 8.10 and here below:

Dim dblLength as Double
Dim pLength as ICurve
Set pLength = [shape]
dblLength = pLength.length

□ Click Ok, after the calculation, remember to click on Save Edits and
Stop editing in the Editor menu.

□ Check the length values in the attribute field.

We have used Visual Basic for Applications to perform this calculation. The code
in the previous figure can be extracted from the ArcGIS desktop Help: in the
“Contents” tab under ArcMap>Working with tables>Making field calculations;
or in the “Index” tab under Fields in tables>Calculating values.

Polygon based measurements

Area and perimeter are associated with polygon features. As in the case of Length:
the polygon feature classes stored in a geodatabase have the Shape_Area field and
the Shape_Length field (perimeter) in their attribute table by default. When area
or perimeter calculation is needed (for example in case of a Shapefile), you can
look up the VBA code in the help and carry out the same steps as described for
length in the previous task.

► Calculate the bounding box of a polygon

In your core book, bounding boxes are discussed in chapter 6. A bounding box
is the tightest box that will fit around your feature. The minimal bounding box

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can be generated around a line or polygon feature. Bounding boxes are used by
your software as a support function. For example, when you ask the software to
select polygons that are adjacent (neighbours) it can use bounding boxes. When
polygons are adjacent the bounding boxes will intersect. Finding intersecting
bounding boxes is a relative simple operation. To illustrate the theory we will
calculate the bounding boxes of adjacent polygons.

□ In the land_use layer, select the polygon on which the ITC building is
located. (ObjectID 2502)

□ Use your selection tools to select all polygons in the Land_use layer that
are adjacent to (touch the boundary of) the selected polygon.

 Question 8.1
How many polygons are selected?

□ Go to ArcToolbox and open the Data Management tools – Features

– Feature envelop to polygon.

□ For input layer choose Landuse. It will automatically use only the
selected features.

□ For output layer type AdjacentBoxes. You do not have to check the
multipart option.

□ Click OK and close the progress window.

This tool will create envelop polygons. Envelop polygons are another name for
bounding boxes. It will create the minimal polygon around a feature (in our case
the selected features) and will store these polygons in a new layer.

Fig 8.11:
ITC area with bounding
boxes of adjacent
polygons

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8.2 Measurement functions

Above (Fig. 8.11) you see a picture of the area with ObjectID 2502 in black. Around
the area you see the bounding boxes of the polygons with object ID 2502 and all
the bounding boxes of the adjacent areas. The bounding box of the objected 2502
area is the largest bounding box. You see clearly that all the other bounding boxes
intersect this envelop.

► Check bounding boxes

When areas are adjacent, you can be sure that the bounding boxes of these areas
intersect. The opposite is not necessarily true: when the bounding boxes of two
polygons intersect, the polygons are not always neighbours. We will check this by
generating two bounding boxes for areas that are not adjacent but close together.

□ In the Buildings layer select both the ITC and the building of the
neighbouring Health Insurance Company through interactive
selection
Fig 8.12:
Selected buildings

□ Go to ArcToolbox and open the tool to create the envelops for these
buildings.

□ For input layer choose Buildings. It will automatically use only the
selected features.

□ For output layer type boudingITC. You do not have to check the
multipart option.

□ Click OK and close the progress window.

When you evaluate the result you will see that the two bounding boxes overlap
but the two buildings do not (Fig. 8.13).

ArcGIS uses bounding boxes to check for areas that are possible adjacent. For the
polygons with intersecting bounding boxes it will run another support function
to make sure they are truly adjacent.

► Bounding box and centroid.

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Fig 8.13:
Overlapping bounding
boxes of non adjacent
polygons

Now that you created the bounding box for the ITC building we want to compare
this bounding box with the location of the centroid.

□ Make sure that only the BoundingITC and ITC_point layer are visible.

□ ITC_point should be on top of BoundingITC.

 Question 8.2
Where is the centroid located?

You saw that the centroid of the ITC building is positioned exactly in the middle
of the bounding box.

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8.3 Challenges

8.3 Challenges

► Challenge 1:

Let us suppose the data view frame is displayed in meters but we want to
store the area values for example in yards or any other chosen unit. How would
you do so?

► Challenge 2:

If the data is not projected and is in decimal degrees, would the result of
the area computation be correct? In case it is not correct, what changes would you
make to get the correct area?

► Challenge 3:

Suppose we have the area values for the features in a Shapefile stored
in the attribute table. What would happen with these values if we modify the
geometry?

8.4 Summary
In this exercise we have performed measurements on spatial features. You should
have learned how to:
● Explore the X,Y coordinates of map features and make interactive
length measurements on a map (this information is not saved).
● Store X,Y coordinates in the attribute table of a feature class.
● Store X,Y coordinates, length, perimeter and area values for the features
in a feature class or Shapefiles (to do this you use Field Calculator).
● Create bounding boxes (Envelopes)
● Retrieve the centroid of a polygon
● Measure between two point locations.

Of course it is also possible to measure on raster layers. This will be discussed in

later modules.

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Exercise 9

Spatial analysis with vector data

Topics:

Buffering features, Single and multiple buffer rings, Union, Clip, Intersect, Erase
and Dissolve, using the environment settings, creating processing reports, history
toolbox.

9.1 Introduction
In Exercise 6 we helped out the Urban Planning department in the initial phase of
a study for the allocation of a new high school in Enschede. Since then they have
continued working on this case and they have reached the suitability analysis phase.

The allocation of the new school is based on the following criteria:

● Distance more than 1.5 Kilometres from existing schools;
● Distance between 500 and 1000 meters of main roads (to minimize
traffic noises but have proper access);
● Excluding business areas;
● Excluding forest areas;
● Within a district with high young population (as the school should be
conveniently located for the student populations they serve). We will
apply the following classification on the number of people between 15
and 19 years old:
● More than 1200: Highly suitable
● Between 700 and 1200: Less suitable
● Less than 700: Not suitable.

The dataset available for this study consists of:

● Special_buildings (point feature class)
● Neighbourhoods (polygon feature class)
● Statistics on population by age category, population (table)
● Main_roads (line feature class)
● Business_areas (polygon feature class)
● Land use (polygon feature class)

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9.2 Description of the operations

 Refer to section 6.3 in Chapter 6 of the Principles of GIS textbook.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course
03: Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 9: Spatial analysis with
vector data

► Copy the whole folder to your personal directory.

The time required for this exercise is 180 minutes.

Shortcut

1. Study the criteria listed above.

2. Create your own conceptual model in the empty frame (section 9.3).
3. Perform the analysis as described in your model.
4. Compare your result with the result in Blackboard.

9.2 Description of the operations

In ArcGIS, spatial vector operations can be carried out within the (integrated
– dockable) ArcToolbox window. The tools that we will use in this exercise are
spread over several different toolboxes and toolsets.
From the Analysis tools (Fig. 9.1) we will use the toolsets “Overlay”,
“Extract” and “Proximity”.

Fig 9.1:
Analysis toolbox

Extract: Contains tools to extract features and attributes from a feature class or
a table based on attribute queries or spatial extraction and stores them in a new
Shapefile or geodatabase feature class. These tools include clip, select, split, and
table select.

Overlay: Contains tools to overlay multiple feature classes to combine, erase, or

update spatial features into a new feature class. There are several types of overlay
operations such as identity, intersect, union, and update.

Proximity: The Proximity toolset contains tools that are used to determine the
proximity of spatial features within a feature class or between two feature classes.
These tools can identify features that are closest to one another, calculate the
distances around them, and calculate distances between them. Contains tools like
buffer and multiple ring buffer.

From the Data Management Tools (Fig. 9.2) we will use the “Generalization”
toolset.

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Fig 9.2:
Generalization toolset

Generalization: Tools in the Generalization toolset make data less detailed and
less complex for analysis and representation at reduced scales or for other special
purposes. The tools simplify data while maintaining its geographic characteristics
and integrity and meeting cartographic specifications.

UNION:

We use Union when we want to overlay two polygon layers so that the resulting
output layer a) has the combined attribute data of the polygons in the two inputs,
and b) contains all the polygons from the inputs, whether or not they overlap. In
this way, we can produce a new layer combining the features and attributes of
two polygon layers.

The output from this geoprocessing operation will be in the same coordinate
system as the data frame, irrespective of the coordinate system of the data sources
of the input layers (exception: when saving the output from this operation as a
feature class in an existing feature dataset).

CLIP:

We use Clip when we want to cut out a piece of one layer using one or more of the
polygons in another layer as a ‘cookie cutter’.

The layer that is having its features clipped can contain points, lines, or polygons.
If we only want a subset of the features in this layer to be clipped, we can select
them using any of ArcMap’s feature selection tools, before we perform the clip.

The ‘cooker cutter’ or clip layer must contain polygon features. If we only want
a subset of the polygons in this layer to be used as the ‘cookie cutter’, we should
select them before we perform the clip.

The attributes of the features in the output layer are the same as those of the
features in the layer being clipped.

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9.2 Description of the operations

The output from this geoprocessing operation will be in the same coordinate
system as the data frame, irrespective of the coordinate system of the data sources
of the input layers (exception: when saving the output from this operation as a
feature class in an existing feature dataset).

DISSOLVE

We use Dissolve when we want to aggregate features based on a specified

attribute.

The output from this geoprocessing operation will be in the same coordinate
system as the data frame, irrespective of the coordinate system of the input layer’s
data source (exception: when saving the output from this operation as a feature
class in an existing feature dataset).

INTERSECT:

We use Intersect when we want to overlay a layer with the polygons in another
layer so that the resulting output layer a) has the combined attribute data of the
features in the two inputs, and b) only contains features that fall within the spatial
extent of the overlay polygons.

In this way, we can find just those features that overlap and ‘stamp’ the attributes
of the overlay polygons in the second layer onto the features in the first layer. We
can intersect polygons with polygons and lines with polygons.

ERASE:

ERASE creates a new feature class by overlaying two sets of features. The Erase
Features polygons define the erasing region. Input Features that are within the
erasing region are removed.

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The output feature classes contain only those Input Features that are outside the
erasing region. Input Features can be polygons, lines, or points; but Erase Features
must be polygons. Output features are of the same class as the Input Features.
They are clipped to the outer boundary of the Erase Features polygons. Topology
is rebuilt for the output feature class.
The attribute table for the output feature class contains the same items as the
Input Features attribute table. The old feature internal number is used to transfer
item information from the Input Feature attribute table to the output features
attribute table.

We can specify that the intersection be limited to the currently selected set of
features in either or both of the two inputs. If we only want a subset of the features
in either or both layers to be used in the process, we can select these features using
any of ArcMap’s feature selection tools.

The output from this geoprocessing operation will be in the same coordinate
system as the data frame, irrespective of the coordinate system of the input layer’s
data source (exception: when saving the output from this operation as a feature
class in an existing feature dataset).

9.3 Conceptual model

This exercise has two approaches: you can create your own conceptual model for
the suitability map or you can follow the step-by-step exercise. Nevertheless, it is
recommended to start by trying to create the model yourself.

In the following exercise we have tried to cover all the operations discussed
above to learn how these are performed inside ArcMap. But be aware that there
is NOT a single procedure for this exercise; you can come up with different steps,
ending up with the same result!

 Question
Try to formulate a conceptual model that will create the suitability map for
the location of the new high school.

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9.4 Step by step solution

9.4 Step by step solution

Defining the output workspace

Environment settings can be specified at different hierarchical levels. You will

now define your current workspace on the project level so that the input and
output directory will be applied to all analysis that you are going to carry out in
this exercise. You will save your map document to ensure that these settings will
be saved.

For an overview of environment settings see exercise 4.

► Set the general settings

□ Open ArcMap with a new map document.

□ Go to the tools menu in your main toolbar and select options. Choose
the tab geoprocessing and click on environments.

□ Click on general settings to expand the options.

□ Under current workspace browse to your geodatabase and add it as the

location of your input and output files.

□ Click OK to apply the environment settings.

□ Make sure that the checkbox “log geoprocessing operations to a history

model” is checked.

□ Click OK to exit options.

□ Save your map document as exercise9.mxd

Fig 9.3:
Environment settings

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Defining excluded areas

In the introduction we stated some of the site constraints for the location of the
new school. This section describes how to identify the areas that are not suitable
and should be excluded.

► Buffering existing schools

We will start locating areas at a specified distance from existing schools. This is
important because your site should not be within a distance of 1500 meters of an
existing school. The layer you create will be used to exclude these areas from the
final result.

Schools are contained in the layer Special_buildings. We will define the query to
select only those special buildings referring to schools and we will buffer them
with a distance of 1,5 kilometres.

□ Add the layer Special_buildings (the feature class is contained in the

Topography feature dataset) to your map document.

□ Select only those special buildings of type attribute equal to school (they
will be highlighted in the map and in the layer’s attribute table).

□ Make sure the ArcToolbox window is visible.

□ In the ArcToolbox window go to Analysis tools>Proximity, and double

click the Buffer tool to open the dialog window.

□ Select the special_buildings as the input features. ArcGIS will

automatically create the buffers on the selected features; you do not
have to specify this explicitly.

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9.4 Step by step solution

□ Specify the output feature class as Buff_school, you will have to replace
the default name.

□ For distance, check the linear units box and enter 1500 meters.

□ Scroll down until you see Dissolve type, select all. This will dissolve the
barriers between the buffers.

□ Click OK to execute.

□ When the buffer layer has been generated you can close the progress
window and view the output.

Fig 9.4:
Buffer dialog

Your result should be similar to the figure below.

Fig 9.5:
Buffer of 1500 meters
around the schools.

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► Union areas to be excluded

The buffer zone you already created is an area that should be excluded from
the final result. There are other areas that should also be excluded, these are the
business areas.
Although they refer to different criteria, all of them should be excluded
from the final suitability map and that is the reason you want to combine them
in one layer. We will union the school buffers and the business areas into a single
layer called Areas_to_exclude.

□ Add the Bussiness_areas feature class to ArcMap (it is contained in the

Topography feature dataset).

□ In the ArcToolbox window, select Analysis tools>Overlay>Union.

Double click the Union tool to open the dialog.

□ Use the dropdown box to add both the Business_areas and the Buff_
school as input features.

□ The name of your output is “Areas_to_exclude”.

□ Click OK to execute. Close the progress window.

Fig 9.6:
Union dialog
The Areas_to_exclude layer should look as follows:

Fig 9.7:
Result after the union
operation.

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9.4 Step by step solution

Defining ‘obligatory’ areas

As previously stated, the location of the new school should be at a distance

between 500 and 1000 meters from existing main roads and in non-forested areas
(this information is contained in the Land_Use feature class).

To find the proper locations we will first draw the buffers around the roads and
then we will perform a selection by attributes to identify suitable areas from both
layers (buffers at a specified distance and excluding forest areas). Then we will
clip the land use areas with the selected buffers of the main roads to take only
those areas for which both criteria are met.

► Buffer around main roads.

□ Add the layer Main_roads to ArcMap (it is contained in the Topography

feature dataset).

□ In the ArcToolbox window go to Analysis Tools>Proximity open the

“Multiple ring buffer tool”.

When you click the tool, you may notice that this tool has a different symbol than
the rest of the tools. This is because the “Multiple ring buffer tool” is not a regular
tool but a script tool. The consequence is that your environment settings will not
be automatically applied. This means that you will have to type the full path for
your output feature class, instead of only the layer name.

□ Select the layer Main_roads as input features.

□ As output features type Buff_Roads (specify the full path for this output
layer)

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Fig 9.8:
Multiple ring buffer
dialog.

□ Create the buffers as multiple buffer rings (2 rings) and at a distance

of 500 and 1000 meters. Use the button [A] to add the distances to the [A]
dialog. [Make sure the Buffer Units are set to meters.]

□ Select to dissolve barriers between the buffers.

□ Click ok to execute.

▐ When you have a problem executing this dialog, specify the full path of your
output layer and try again.

The result after this operation is represented in Fig. 9.9. These polygons represent
areas within 0 and 500 meters and between 500 and 1000 meters. We will later
select only those areas within 500 and 1000 meters.

Fig 9.9:
Result after the buffer
operation dissolving
the barriers between
the features.

In case of not dissolving the barriers between buffers around the main roads
(specified in the Buffers Wizard window panel), we would have obtained the
representation as in Fig. 9.10.

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9.4 Step by step solution

Fig 9.10:
Result after the buffer
operation without
dissolving the barriers
between the features.

 Question 9.1
Would it be possible to identify the areas within 500 and 1000 meters from
the main roads by a query? Explain why or why not. Try if you can succeed
in performing this selection.

► Clip the non-forested areas with the 500 to 1000 meters main road
buffer.

□ Open the attribute table of Buff_Roads. You will see a field called
“Distance” that stores the buffer distance.

□ Select the areas where Distance = 1000 (the polygon at a distance

between 500 and 1000 meters from the main roads will be highlighted).
You can close the attribute table.

□ Add the layer Land_Use to your Map document (contained in the

Topography feature dataset).

□ Perform a selection by attribute and select all features but exclude the
features with land use type forest from your selection.

 Question 9.2
Which SQL expression did you use to perform the selection of the non-
forested areas?

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 Question 9.3
Can you build the SQL expression that selects all the features that do not
contain the word forest in their type attribute?

□ In the menu Toolbox window select Analysis Tools>Extract>Clip.

□ Double click the Clip tool to open the dialog.

Fig 9.11:
Clip one layer based
on another
□ Select the Land_Use layer as the input layer to clip.

□ Select the Buff_Roads as the “cookie cutter” (clip features).

□ Name the output feature class “Within_Areas”.

□ Click OK to finish. Close the progress dialog window.

You have now created a layer with areas that have a suitable landuse type and are
at the correct distance of a main road (Fig 9.12).

Fig 9.12:
Result after the clip
operation

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9.4 Step by step solution

Choosing ‘candidate’ areas

Up to now we have identified those areas in which the new school cannot be
located (Areas_to_exclude layer) and those ones in which it should be located
(Within_Areas). In this part of the exercise we will exclude the Areas_to_exclude
from the Within_Areas.

► The next figure shows in medium grey, the areas that should be selected
after the three steps mentioned.

The output will be a new layer (called Suit1) with the features in medium grey.

Fig 9.13:
‘Candidate’ areas
showed in medium ► Perform Erase operation
grey.
□ Go to ArcToolbox and open the Analysis Tools>Overlay>Erase

□ Double click the erase tool to open it.

Fig. 9.14:
Erase dialog

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□ Select the Within_Areas as the input feature class

□ Select the Areas_to_Exclude as the erase features

□ Specify Suit1 as the output feature class and click OK. Close the progress
window.

The figure below (Fig. 9.15) shows the resulting areas contained in Suit1.

Fig 9.15:
‘Candidate areas’
stored in the Suit1
feature class

Within a district with young population

As stated in the introduction, one of the criteria was to find areas within a district
with a high number of young people. Therefore, it is necessary to look at the
population statistics. The following steps will allow us to select those districts
with a high number of people in the age group of 15-19 years old.

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9.4 Step by step solution

Population information though, is at neighbourhood level in our dataset. In

Exercise 6 we saw that it was contained in the table population and it was related
to the feature class Neighbourhoods.

We will aggregate these statistical data at a district level. For this, we will start
joining population data to the neighbourhoods layer. As the neighbourhoods
have the identifier of the district they belong to, we will dissolve them based
on that identifier. With this operation we are summarizing the information on
neighbourhoods and we can specify to get the total population between 15 and 19
years old by district.

► Join population data to the neighbourhoods

□ Add the table population and the feature class Neighbourhoods to

ArcMap (the feature class is contained in the Admin feature dataset).

□ Perform the join based on the attribute Neighb_ID in Neighbourhoods

and the OBJECTID in the population table.

▐ Refer to exercise 6 if you get stuck at this point.

► Get the total population between 15 and 19 years old by district

□ In the toolbox, select Data Management tools, Generalization, Dissolve.

Double click the dissolve tool to execute.

□ Select Neighbourhoods as the layer to dissolve.

□ Specify the name Distr_youngpop for the output layer.

□ Dissolve field is Neighbourhoods. Distr_ID.

Fig 9.16:
Dissolve dialog

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We are interested in the number of children that are between 15 and 19 years
old, so for the output layer we will specify that we want to summarize by the
attribute B1519_98 (we want the Sum of all the values per district included in this
attribute).

□ For statistics field select Population.B1519_98 and for statistic type

select sum.

□ Click OK to execute. Close the progress dialog window.

We have obtained the following result:

Fig 9.17:
Result after the
► INTERSECT the districts (Distr_youngpop) with the suitable areas dissolve operation
obtained in Suit1.

This intersection will ensure that for all suitable areas, we know the population
between 15 -19 years old, because the sum of the population will be included in
the attribute table of the intersection layer. This will allow us to classify the areas
for the final suitability map.

□ Perform the intersection between Distr_youngpop and Suit1 and save

the output feature class under the name Intersection_Suit1.

Fig. 9.18:
Intersection.

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9.4 Step by step solution

► Apply the classification for the suitability map

We will first create a new attribute to store the classification of the areas.

□ Use your toolboxes (Data Management tools, fields, add field) to create
a new field in the feature class Intersection_Suit1 called Classif (its data
type should be Text).

□ Open the attribute table of Intersection_Suit1.

□ Perform a selection by attributes where Sum_Population_B1519_98 >

1200

□ For only those records selected, include “Highly Suitable” in the

attribute Classif (Use the Calculate Values option)

▐ Note that you have to include the double quotation marks (“ “) when you
calculate the new field value. This is because it is a string.

► Repeat the last steps to enter the rest of the classification:

● Between 700 and 1200: Less Suitable
● Less than 700: Not suitable

The final suitability map should looks as Fig. 9.19:

Fig 9.19:
Final suitability map.

□ Change the symbology of the “Intersection_Suit1” layer and use

“Classif” has the value field.

□ Save your map document.

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► Check the history of the geoprocessing

Step by step you have gone through the process of finding suitable sites for a new
high school. Now that you have finished you may want to generate an overview
of all geoprocessing that you have performed. Remember that you checked if the
“track history” was turned on (In the first step of this exercise). It is now time to
check this history.

Fig 9.20:
Add a toolbox

□ Right click somewhere in your toolbox window to open the context

menu.

□ Select “Add Toolbox”. Browse to the location: “Documents and Settings\

Yourname\Application Data\ ESRI\ ArcToolbox\ MyToolboxes”, and
open the History toolbox.

You should now see a “History” toolbox that contains one or more history files,
which you can recognize by the data.

Fig 9.21:
History toolbox

▐ If you do not see your last session listed, or you don’t see the History toolbox
in your documents and settings, close ArcMap (save) and re-open. Your
history box should be updated.

► Open the history information

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9.4 Step by step solution

□ Select the correct history file and right click the context menu

□ Select “Edit”. You should see the processes that you have performed.
(Fig 9.22)

Fig 9.22:
History model □ Go to the model option in the history menu and select “Report”.

□ Select “View Report in a window” and click OK.

□ Expand some of the processes and check the parameters.

Fig 9.23:
Process report

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9.5 Challenges

► Challenge 1:

The urban planning department needs a location with a minimum area of 170000
sq meters (large enough for present and anticipated programs and the present
and expected population of the area). Are there any areas with this size in the
result you obtained?
What is the polygon with the largest size in the final suitability map?

In the final map there are adjacent areas not considered as a unit and with their
total area covered by them not being stored in the layer. Could you use any of the
operations you learned to obtain these area values?

► Challenge 2:

During these exercises, we have performed analytical operations on our data.

Each time, the result has been saved as a feature class in the geodatabase.

Perform once again the Intersection between the districts (Distr_youngpop) with
the suitable areas obtained in Suit1 but this time, save the output of this operation
as a Shapefile called Intersection_shp.

Make the classification for the final suitability map. Select from the resulting
areas the ones with a minimum area of 170000 square meters (like in Challenge 1).
Which is the result you have obtained? Which is the polygon with the largest area
in the resulting suitability map? Is it the same polygon as in Challenge1?

► Challenge 3:

In the geodatabase, there exists the relation between neighbourhoods and districts
through a common field in both attribute tables. Suppose we remove the foreign
key (Distr_ID) from the Neighbourhoods feature class (do it!). The link between
both feature classes no longer exists explicitly in the attribute tables.

With the operations you have learned, can you find a way to restore the identifier
in the Neighbourhoods’ attribute table?

► Challenge 4:

In Blackboard in the data for this exercise you will find a model. In ArcGIS 9.0
it is possible to store a set of tools as a process model. Learning how to create a
model is not part of this module but you can run the provided model. This model
will run all operations that you have carried out during this exercise and should
produce an identical result.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 217
9.6 Summary

9.6 Summary
In this exercise we have created a suitability map for the location of a
new high school. We started analyzing the criteria applicable to this case and
we saw that combining characteristics of the same location contained in different
layers was needed. We made use of overlay functions for this purpose. We have
discussed the following overlay operators: clip, union, erase and intersect.
We have also applied proximity computations by generating buffers around
features. The buffers themselves have become polygons and they have been used
as input for other overlay functions.

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Exercise 10

Spatial analysis with raster data

Topics:

Reclassification of raster data sets, convert vector feature dataset to raster, find
distance operation, use raster calculator, Use Spatial Analyst Tools via ArcToolbox,
make a raster dataset partially transparent, change temporary outputs to
permanent output, set analysis properties.

10.1 Introduction
In this exercise we are going to practice analytical functions, as discussed in
Chapter 6 of Principles of geographic Information systems. The time required to
complete this exercise is 120 minutes.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course 03:
Principles of GIS (2005) under:
Assignments/Exercise 10: Spatial analysis with raster data/Exercise data

► Copy the exercise data to your personal directory.

 For Classification refer to paragraph 6.2.3 of the textbook. For Raster

overlay operators see paragraph 6.3.2 in the textbook. Neighbourhood
functions are discussed in 6.4 in the textbook.

Shortcut:

1. Read the problem definition

2. Create your own conceptual model in fig. 10.3
3. Execute all steps in your conceptual model.
4. Compare your result and conceptual model with our model and result
in Blackboard.

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10.1 Introduction

Toolbars and Toolboxes

In this exercise you will be working on raster datasets and therefore will use the
spatial Analyst menu shown below.

Fig 10.1:
Spatial analyst menu
bar

Fig. 10.2:
Spatial Analyst Toolbox

When you use ArcToolbox you will use the “Spatial Analyst Tools”.

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 Exercise 10. Spatial analysis with raster data

10.2 Problem definition

You were asked by a good friend to help him find a suitable site to build a new
house. He gave you a general description of important criteria, but you have
already further defined the criteria so that they can be used in a GIS suitability
analysis. The criteria for a suitable location are as follows:
● Within the Enschede area (defined as the map extent of landuse)
● On a relatively high site (defined as higher than 40 meters)
● On a landuse type that is not currently built up, not a cemetery and not
a nature area (as it will be impossible to acquire a nature plot)
● More than 500 meters away from a main road

You have the following datasets available:

● Landuse (feature class in the geodatabase: ITC_new.mdb)
● Height, raster layer (in ITC_new.mdb)
● main_roads (feature class in the geodatabase: ITC_new.mdb)

You can solve this exercise in two different ways, either on your own or by using
the “step by step” instructions.

If you want to follow the “on your own approach” you can use figure 10.3 to
formulate your own conceptual model. When your model is ready you can
execute it.

You can also choose the “step by step approach”. First check the conceptual
model in Blackboard. Then, go to the “step by step” exercise and follow the
instructions.

No matter which approach you choose always start by exploring your data.
Add the data to an empty ArcMap document and look at the values, map
extents, grid cell size etc..

 Conceptual Model
Create your own conceptual model here.

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10.3 Step by step exercise

10.3 Step by step exercise

The “step-by-step” execution of the exercise as proposed by the instruction team
is described below.

Project preparation

► Open ArcMap with a new Map document and add the data for the
suitability study.

□ When ArcMap is not yet open, open ArcMap with a new (empty) map
document.

□ Add the layers (Landuse, height and main_roads) and explore the data
by going to the attribute tables and layer properties.

► Check if the ‘Spatial analyst’ extension is loaded and if the ‘Spatial

Analyst’ menu bar, and the ‘Spatial Analyst’ toolbox are visible.

□ In your main menu go to ‘Tools’ and select the option ‘Extensions’.

Checkmark the ‘Spatial analyst’ extension.

Exploring your data

It is a good habit to explore your data before you are going to start the raster
calculations. This includes checking the attribute table, check if your raster dataset
is continuous or discreet. What is the cell size of your raster dataset? Do all of your
datasets have the same map extent and spatial reference?

► Explore data

□ Open the attribute tables.

 Question 10.1
The height layer does not have an attribute table. Why?

□ Open the layer properties – Source tab and check the extent, data source,
coordinate system and for the raster layer the cell size and source type.

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 Exercise 10. Spatial analysis with raster data

Setting the Environment settings

Before you start performing the analysis you can store some of your settings under
“Environment settings”. You have done this already in exercise 9. These settings
will be applied every time you perform a (raster) operation. In this exercise it is
important that we pay special attention to the raster analysis settings.
You can specify the map extent and cell size for every output raster that you
are going to create. Setting the environment settings will save you time because
you will only have to specify the extent and cell size one time. The options will be
applied until you change or remove them. You can also set the work directory, the
place where you want to store your outputs (like you did in exercise 9).

► Setting the environment settings

□ Go to your main menu and select Tools, Options, Geoprocessing,

Environments.

□ Under General settings you will specify your current workspace as

your Geodatabase (ITC_new) and your output extent as being the same
as the landuse layer.

Fig 10.3:
Environment settings,
map extent

□ Under the raster analysis settings, you will specify your output cell size
as the same as layer “Height”.

□ Click OK twice to apply the settings and exit the dialog.

Fig. 10.4:
Raster analysis
settings

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 223
10.3 Step by step exercise

Convert from features to raster

The landuse dataset is currently a vector (polygon) dataset. When you continue
with your suitability analysis you need to use this layer together with your raster
layer “height”. Therefore you are going to convert this dataset to a raster layer.

► Find the right raster value

In a raster dataset each pixel (cell) has a value. This value represents a
landuse code, soil type, height, temperature etc. In our case the new raster
value should be the landuse type. Before we convert the data we will go to the
attribute table of the original landuse layer and check in which field this landuse
code is stored.

□ Open the attribute table of the landuse layer and find the field name of
the column that stores the landuse code.

□ Close the attribute table.

► Convert to raster

□ Go to ArcToolbox and select the “Conversion Tools” – “To Raster” –

“Feature to Raster”

□ Choose the Landuse layer as your input file, the field is TDN_code,
store your new raster in the geodatabase under the name LandRaster.
Note that the cell size has already been selected.

□ Click OK to execute. Close the progress dialog window when successfully

executed.

Fig 10.5:
Feature to raster
conversion

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Display two raster layers together

In the previous chapters you have learned how to display vector data. When you
are displaying two polygon layers it is possible to make one layer transparent by
only showing the outlines of the polygons. In a raster environment there are no
polygon outlines. There are cells but it would not make any sense to show the
boundaries of each cell. Imagine that you would see the outline of every pixel in
the raster layer, you would see a very dense raster.
To be able to see two raster data layers together you can make the fill colour
of your pixels partly transparent.
We will now do this for the landuse raster, so that we can see the landuse
and height data together

► Display (transparency)

□ Make sure that only your landuse layer (LandRaster) and height layer
are displayed and that the landuse layer is on top of your height layer.
If this is not the case, change the order of your layers.

□ Go to the properties of the height layer (symbology tab) and change the
way the raster is displayed (select: Classified, 10 classes, select a colour
ramp)

Fig 10.6:
Raster Symbology

The higher areas should now have a darker colour. If this is not the case, select a
different colour ramp.

□ Click apply and OK.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 225
10.3 Step by step exercise

► Open the effect toolbar

□ Go to your main menu, select ‘View’ option ‘Toobars’ and checkmark

the “Effects” toolbar.

Fig 10.7:
The “Effects” toolbar

► Change the transparency of a raster layer.

□ In the effect toolbar select the “LandRaster” as the layer.

□ Then click the “adjust transparency” button and slide the transparency
up to approximately 60%.

□ Close the effects toolbar.

Fig 10.8:
Change Transparency

You should now be able to see the contours of the colouring of the height layer
through your landuse.

Reclassification height

In your criteria you have specified that not all heights are considered suitable. The
suitable areas should have a height of more than 40 meters. We are now going to
calculate a height suitability layer.

► Use reclassification to select suitable heights

□ In the ArcToolbox window select Spatial Analyst Tools – Reclass –

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 Exercise 10. Spatial analysis with raster data

Reclassify, double click to open the tool.

□ Select “Height” as your input, Reclass field is “Value”, Specify the

classes like you see in fig 10.10, the name of your output is “HeightSuit”,
make sure the checkbox for Missing data is checked.

□ Click OK.

Fig 10.9:
Reclassification dialog

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 227
10.3 Step by step exercise

▐ When you type the Old values, you use a range (40 – 65 ). There should be a
space an both sides of the -.

□ Close the progress dialog, and view your output layer.

You have now created two new classes. One with everything below 40 meters,
the new value for this class will be 0. And another class for everything above 40
meters. The value for these pixels will be 1.
You should now have a new raster layer with the name: “HeigtSuit” and
the values 0 and 1.

Suitable landuse classes

You already created a new layer with the suitable heights. Now you are going
to create a layer with suitable landuse classes. Remember that you don’t want
areas that currently have the landuse type “nature” (deciduous forest, coniferous
forest, mixed forest or heather) or are currently a “cemetery”. The areas that are
currently built up are not included in the raster layer. In the table below you will
find the corresponding TDN_Code value.

Fig 10.10:
Meaning of the TDN_
code

► Reclassify the landuse raster

□ Go to ArcToolbox and use the “Reclassify” tool.

□ Make sure your input raster is the LandRaster.

□ Fill in the reclassify dialog. All suitable areas get the new value 1; all
other areas get value 0. Note that you only have to change the new
values. The name of your output layer is LandUseSuit.

□ Click OK. View your new output layer.

▐ Reclassification can also be performed using your spatial analyst toolbar. In

the spatial analyst menu you will find an option Reclassify.

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 Exercise 10. Spatial analysis with raster data

Create a distance layer

One of the criteria is that the new site should be more than 500 meters away from
a main road. You are first going to calculate a straight line distance layer.
Then you will reclassify this raster layer in suitable and unsuitable areas.

► Calculate a distance layer

□ Examine the main_roads file

□ Go to your Toolbox window and select “Spatial Analyst Tools” –

“Distance” – “Euclidean distance”.

□ Select Main_Roads as your input, “Distance” as the name for your

output, and click OK to execute.

□ Close the progress window.

Fig 10.11:
Perform a Straight Line
Distance calculation

The outcome of this operation is a continuous distance raster with values ranging
from 0 to 1761 meters. (Fig. 10.12)

We will have to reclassify this distance layer to create a suitability layer

with values 1 and 0 (suitable and not suitable).

▐ You can also perform a distance operation via your “Spatial Analyst” toolbar.
Choose the option “Distance” – “Straight Line”.

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10.3 Step by step exercise

Fig 10.12:
Straight Line Distance
layer

► Reclassify distance layer

□ Open your “Reclassify” tool and use “Distance” as your input layer.

□ Create two classes (0 - 500 meters) and (500 – 1800 meters) and assign
the values 0 for not suitable and 1 for suitable.

□ Save your new raster as the “Roadsuit” layer.

□ Click OK. Close the progress window and view your new output
layer.

Fig 10.14:
Reclassification

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 Exercise 10. Spatial analysis with raster data

Combine the three suitability layers

You created three suitability raster layers, one for height, one for landuse, and one
for distance to main roads.

Suitable areas are those areas that are suitable for all three criteria. To find these
areas we will combine the three raster layers. We will do this by simply adding
the values of the three layers together. If a pixel is suitable for all three criteria the
output pixel value will be 3. If a cell is only suitable for two of the three criteria the
pixel value will be 2. We will also have pixel with the values 0 and 1.

 Check your lecture notes ‘Arithmetic operators’ on page 166.

► Raster calculation

In this exercise we mainly used the toolboxes for the processing. We can also use
the ‘Spatial Analyst” toolbar to do our raster processing.

□ Open the ‘Spatial Analyst’ toolbar

Fig 10.14:
Spatial Analyst toolbar
□ Use the “Spatial Analyst” menu to open the “Raster Calculator”

□ Enter [LanduseSuit] + [heightSuit] + [RoadSuit], and click Evaluate

Fig 10.15:
Raster Calculator

You can add a raster layer (note the square brackets) by double clicking the layer
in the “layers” list. We encourage you to use the + sign by clicking on the + in
your dialog window and not by typing it from your keyboard. ArcGIS wants a
space on both sides of the operator. This will automatically be put in when you
use the dialog window.

▐ Note that you did not specify the name of your output layer. The output is
listed in your table of content as “Calculation”

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 231
10.3 Step by step exercise

▐ The progress window did not appear, this is normal for operations that you
run via the menu.

Evaluate the result and check if it looks ok. You should have four different values
(0, 1, 2, 3). Your output layer is not a permanent layer. You want to store it together
with your other data.

□ Right click on the Calculation layer to open the context menu. Select
Make Permanent, enter the name “FinalSuit” as your output name.

▐ By default it selects to store your data outside a Geodatabase as an ESRI

GRID file.

You decide that you want to store this file together with your other data in your
Geodatabase.

□ Under Save file as, select Personal Geodatabase Raster and make sure
the ITC_new is the database you are storing your output in

□ Click Save, to store your result.

Fig 10.16:
Make permanent

▐ Although you made the raster layer permanent and have given it a name, the
name of the layer in the TOC did not change. It is still called “Calculation”.
You can check if it saved your layer in different ways:
□ “make permanent” is no longer available
□ you can add the layer and check if it is available from your
geodatabase
□ you could also open ArcCatalog and check it there.
The final result should look like Fig 10.17:

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 Exercise 10. Spatial analysis with raster data

Fig 10.17:
Result of your
suitability analysis

The areas with the darkest colour are the most suitable areas.

 Question 10.2
You should be able to perform the same calculation in ArcToolbox, which
tool would you use?

Create a new raster with the most suitable areas

You like your result very much but you think it will be useful to have a layer with
only the most suitable areas. You will use your raster calculator again and will
now use a comparison operator.

 Textbook page 167, Comparison and logical operators.

► Create a new raster layer with the most suitable areas

□ Go to the spatial analyst menu and select ‘Spatial Analyst’ – ‘Raster

Calculator’

□ Enter the following expression: [Calculation] == 3

□ Evaluate your expression.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 233
10.3 Step by step exercise

□ When you like the result save it as a permanent layer (mostsuit).

▐ What is very important is the difference between your two calculations. To

calculate the “Finalsuit” raster you use an arithmetic operator. The result
was a layer with different numeric values (0, 1, 2, 3). This type of operation
can lead to all kinds of values. In the second calculation (Mostsuit) you used
a comparison operator. This type of expression will be either true or false,
and can only lead to the values 0 (false) and 1 (true).

Fig 10.18:
Only the most suitable
areas.

In the figure above we have displayed the cells with value 1 in black, all other cells
in white.

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 Exercise 10. Spatial analysis with raster data

 Question 10.3
Perform the same calculation again but now using your ArcToolbox. Which tool
did your use?

► Report

Now that you have finished your analysis work, you may want to look at the
report that you can generate from the history files. You have already done this in
chapter 9.

□ Generate a report of the geo-processing operations you performed

during this exercise.

10.4 Challenges

► Challenge 1:

In the previous exercises we used the reclassify operation to calculate three

suitability layers. One for height, one for landuse and one for distance to main
roads. We could have used the raster calculator instead. Calculate the three
suitability layers using the raster calculator.

► Challenge 2:

In the last exercise we used the “Finalsuit” layer as the input for the expression.
We could also have taken the two original input layers (height, Land_use) and the
distance raster. Use the calculator to write a Raster Calculator expression that will
immediately calculate an output layer with only suitable and not suitable using
height, Land_use and the distance raster as your input.

► Challenge 3:

In the exercises a distance layer was calculated. The instructions indicated that the
distance units were meters. Is this true, and how can you check?

► Challenge 4:

In Blackboard in the data for this exercise you will find a model. From ArcGIS
version 9.0 onward it is possible to store a set of tools as a process model. Learning
how to create a model is not part of this module but you can run the provided
model. This model will run all operations that you have carried out during this
exercise and should produce an identical result.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 235
10.5 Summary

10.5 Summary
In this chapter you practiced your skills in using raster datasets to do some
fundamental raster operations. You are now able to:
● Use the “raster analysis settings”
● Perform a simple distance function
● Perform a simple raster calculation using either the raster calculator or
the tools available via ArcToolbox.

The topics discussed in this chapter are just a small selection from what is possible.
During other modules you will learn that there are far more complex raster
calculations that can be performed in ArcGIS. This goes beyond the operations
included in the ArcGIS Spatial Analyst menu. Examples are the hydrological
functions including direction of flow, accumulation of flow and calculating
watershed boundaries. This requires a further understanding of the syntax of
this calculator.

In ArcGIS it is possible to run geo-processing tools from multiple locations. In

this exercise you have practiced using the Spatial Analyst toolbar and using the
toolboxes, in modules to come, you will also learn how to run tools via models,
command line or scripts.

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Exercise 11

Spatial data visualisation

Topics:

Using the visualization properties within ArcMap, produce and visualize maps
containing qualitative and quantitative data. One of the maps produced will be
designed up to the publishing stage.

11.1 Introduction
During the previous exercises you have used many of the tools ArcGis offers to
work with both geographic and attribute data. In this exercise we will explore how
to use the ArcGis tools to visualise spatial data. To demonstrate this visualisation
process, we will make use of different map types (to accommodate qualitative
and quantitative data) and prepare them for publishing purposes. During the
process of map making, we will examine the results generated by ArcMap and
adjust them if necessary.

 Refer to section 7.4 and 7.5 of the lecture notes Principles of GIS.
In this exercise we will make use of the data about the neighbourhoods of Enschede
to demonstrate in which ways ArcMap can support you in the visualization of
your data.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course
03: Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 11: Spatial data
visualisation/Exercise data

► Copy the exercise data to your personal directory

Shortcut:

1. Create a map showing the administrative districts stored in the layer

e_neighbourhoods.shp
2. Create a density map using e_neighborhoods.shp and the table CBS_

237
11.2 Step by step exercise

data.dbf using field BEVDICHT

3. Create a graduated symbol map based on e_neighbourhoods.shp and
CBS_data.dbf using the field AANTWON
4. Label the feature in e_neighorhood.shp using Name2_
5. Produce a layout for e_neighbourhood.shp including: title, legend,
scale bar, north arrow.

Toolbars and Toolboxes

In this exercise you will mainly work with the layer properties window (symbology
and label tabs).

11. 2 Step by step exercise

The “step-by-step” execution of this exercise is described below. When you have
already experience with the visualization of data in ArcGIS, try to use the exercise
“Shortcut”.

Production of an Administrative map

► Generating a map containing nominal (categorial) information: different

neighbourhoods. We will use the Name_2 field in the attribute table to
visualize the neighbourhoods.

□ Open ArcMap

□ Rename the Data Frame to: Neighbourhoods (in Data Frame Properties
> General tab).

□ Add the file e_neighbourhoods.shp to your map document.

□ Open the Layer Properties dialog and click on the Symbology tab

□ Since we want to represent categorial (nominal) data, select “Show:”

Categories > Unique values

We will focus on application of colour to represent the nominal area

information.

□ Select the field NAME2_ in the box “Value Field”.

□ Select Pastels for the Color Scheme (Note: if you do not see text in
the Color Scheme box, right click on it and remove the tick in front of
‘Graphic View’).

□ Check off <all other values> and click on the button: Add All Values.

□ Click ‘OK’.

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The qualitative map representing the neighbourhoods of Enschede:

Fig. 11.1:
Representation of
the neighbourhoods
of Enschede in a
qualitative way.

□ Maximize the ‘View’ on the screen and judge the result in the mapped
area.

 Question 11.1
Do neighbouring countries differ enough in colour (hue)?

It appears that the hues of some of the adjacent neighbourhoods are quite close to
each other. One way to improve the result is to re-apply the colours.

► Re-apply the colours, using the same procedure as described above.

□ Again open the Layer Properties dialog of e_neighbourhood.shp.

□ Move the dialog window to the utmost left bottom corner in order to
see the maximum amount of neighbourhoods in Enschede.

□ Click the buttons ‘Add All Values’ > ‘Apply’.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 239
11.2 Step by step exercise

▐ Notice that ArcMap has changed all the colours randomly by making another
selection within the colour scheme: ‘Pastels’. If necessary, you can repeat this
process until the colours in neighbouring areas are clearly different.

► Exploring the Color Ramp.

Besides simply applying a color ramp like you did in the previous task, there is
also a way to learn more about the colors that are used in this ramp. This is done
via the “style manager”.

□ Go to your main menu and select “Tools”

□ Select ‘Styles’ > ‘Style Manager’

□ Open the folder ‘ESRI.style’ and select Color Ramps.

Fig. 11.2:
Default ‘Color Ramps’
□ Double click ‘Pastels’ to open the color ramp properties. In the dialogue
window you can read the colour definitions of the colour scheme
‘Pastels’.

The colour definitions for an administrative map (like the map of the neighbourhoods
of Enschede) are excellent. However, if there are many administrative units (in
this exercise: 68), some adjacent neighbourhoods are too close in colour to each
other to enable spontaneous discrimination. Therefore, we often have to adjust
individual colours. It is important to choose colours that remain within the HSV
limits (see Fig 11.3).

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 Exercise 11. Spatial data visualisation

Fig. 11.3:
Properties of a Color
Ramp

Judge the result in the ‘Preview’ area of the colour scheme ’Pastels’.

 Question 11.2
Which neighbouring areas in the map of Enschede are too close in colour to
each other?

▐ If necessary make use of the ‘Identify’ button to identify the names of the
neighbourhoods to be changed in colour

► Adjustment of colours.

□ Adjust the colours (in HSV, see the diagram above).

* Question 11.3
Find 4 other colour schemes that could be employed to express the nominal
character of the information in this map.

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11.2 Step by step exercise

 Question 11.4
Explain why the colour scheme ‘Yellow Greens’ is less, or not at all suitable
for this type of map?

From the above we can draw the lesson that ArcMap offers excellent possibilities
to choose nominal colour schemes. However, only few of them fulfil for 100%
the demands of these kind of map types. I.e. usually, adjustments will have to be
made.

□ Save the map and name it Neighbour.mxd. Proceed with the next part
of the exercise.

Production of a population density map

In this part of the exercise you will construct a so-called choropleth map showing
population density in the neighbourhoods of Enschede. You will create a new
Map, load the neighbourhoods of Enschede and join its attribute table with an
external .dbf table. The aim is to show you in which ways ArcMap can support you
in solving two main choropleth construction problems: classifying the statistical
data and selecting an appropriate graded colour series.

Produce and visualize the population density in Enschede.

► Create a new map

□ Create a new map and rename the data frame to: Population density.

□ Under General in the Data Frame Properties, define the map units in:
Meters.

□ Add the file e_neighbourhoods.shp and the file CBS_data.dbf to the

Data Frame.

□ Join the CBS_data.dbf with the attribute table of e_neighbourhood.shp

(fields to join: ID)

In order to be able to make a population density map, we need the following

attribute data:
● individual neighbourhoods
● surface area per neighbourhood in km2
● number of inhabitants per neighbourhood

To calculate population density, the number of inhabitants per neighbourhood is

divided by the area of the respective neighbourhoods (in km2).

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 Exercise 11. Spatial data visualisation

In this case, the field: CBS_data.BEVDICHT already contains the results of the
above calculation.

► Open the layer properties

□ Right click on the layer e_neighbourhood.shp in the ‘Table of Contents’

and open the layer properties.

□ Click on the Symbology tab.

□ In the “Show:” window, select a proper way to represent population

density.

▐ Population density is a relative quantity that has to be represented by a visual

variable with the perception property ‘ordered’. the visual variable ‘value’.
Quantities: Graduated colors is the best choice in this case.The resulting
map type is called a choropleth map.

► Creation of Graduated Colors.

□ In the ‘Show:’ window, click on Quantities > Graduated colors.

□ From the ‘Fields Value:’ drop down list, select the column CBS_data.
BEVDICHT.

A default legend appears immediately, in which the population density per

neighbourhood is represented in 5 classes, on the basis of the ‘Natural Breaks
(Jenks)’ classification method and a particular ‘Color Ramp’.

□ Right-mouse-click on Color Ramp. In the submenu that pops up,

uncheck ‘Graphic View’:

Fig. 11.4:
Toggle ‘Graphic View”
on/off

□ Select the colour ramp: Orange Bright.

□ Click ‘OK’ and judge the resulting map.

□ Save this ArcMap Document as Popdens.mxd in your own directory!

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 243
11.2 Step by step exercise

Data classification

We will now have a brief look on how a user can influence the classification of the
data:

□ Open the Layer Properties dialog of the layer e_neighbourhood and

click on the Symbology tab.

Fig. 11.5:
Classification window

□ Click on the button ‘Classify’ and the Classification window appears:

□ Find out what the effect is of changing the classification method

(‘Method:’ drop down list) or changing the number of classes (‘Classes:’
drop down list). As you will notice, the resulting map displays may
differ considerably. Do not save your changes.

In the remaining part of the exercise we will use the default settings (Natural
breaks method; 5 classes).

We will attempt to improve the default legend in the ‘Table of contents’ of the
population density map. We assume that you have selected the ArcMap Color
Ramp: Orange Bright; and 5 classes. Judge the result. If the colours in the series
are gradually increasing (or decreasing) in perceived ‘darkness’, then none of the
colours stands out visually.

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 Exercise 11. Spatial data visualisation

 Question 11. 5
Are there colours standing out in the default ‘Orange Bright’ Color Ramp?

When we observe the series in more detail, we can conclude that ArcMap supplies
us with a range of colours that has reasonable steps in the ‘Orange Bright’ Color
Ramp. Let’s however have a look at the size of the classes represented by the
colours.

Notice the steep increase in size from class 2 to class 3 and from class 4 to class 5.
These increases are, however, not expressed in the Color Ramp. On the basis of the
numerical data we may conclude that the graduated colours could be improved.
ArcMap allows the user to redefine individual colours of a Color Ramp.

► Redefine the colours of a Color Ramp.

□ Select the Symbology tab within the properties of the layer e_

neigbourhood.shp.

From the various possibilities to adjust the Color Ramps within ArcMap, we will
focus on two methods here:
● METHOD 1: Adjustment of the properties of the whole Color Ramp
(where the colours of each class will be affected).
● METHOD 2: Adjustment of the individual colours in a Color Ramp
(where colours of a selected class will be affected).

► METHOD 1: Adjustment of the properties of the whole Color Ramp.

□ Right-mouse-click on Color Ramp. In the submenu that pops up, select

‘properties’ (Fig 11.6)

□ In the dialogue window you are able to change the values for the two
extreme colours by moving the two sliders: Black to Bright; White to
Bright. Experiment with the possibilities and judge the result.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 245
11.2 Step by step exercise

Fig. 11.6:
Select the properties of
a Color Ramp

 Question 11.6
From the result of the previous operation, can you observe an improvement
in the graduated colours (classes 2 – 3 and 4 – 5)?

► METHOD 2: Adjustment of the individual colours in a Color Ramp

Another approach to adjust colour(s) of a default ramp is to change individual

colour(s) within a series. Given the data for this map, steps for classes from 2-3
and from 4-5 really have to be emphasized.

□ Doubleclick on the symbol representing class 3.

□ The dialogue window Symbol Selector opens.

□ Click on Fill Color: under Options.

Fig. 11.7:
Choice of colour in
‘Symbol Selector’

Fig. 11.8:
Colour systems within
‘Color Selector’

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□ The ArcMap colour palette appears. We will not make use of the
standard colour palette but select: More Colors….

□ The Color Selector window appears.

□ Experiment with the possibilities that the various colour systems offer
(see arrow in the right top corner of the dialogue window).

□ Judge the result and if necessary, adjust also step 5.

□ Save the result.

* Question 11.7
With the adjustments made in the steps above, are the differences between
the classes better expressed than in the default solution?

If correctly executed, the graduated colour series in both methods 1 and 2 should
display an improved result compared to the default ArcMap solution. If you
compare the results of both methods, the best result can be obtained by method 2.

Number of dwellings in Enschede

Next, you will produce a map displaying the number of dwellings of the
neighbourhoods of Enschede by graduated symbols.

► Create a new Data Frame.

□ Insert a new Data Frame and rename to No of dwellings.

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 247
11.2 Step by step exercise

□ Add and join the files e_neighbourhood.shp and CBS_data.dbf Use

ArcToolbox to perform the join.

The following fields are relevant for our map:

● CBS_data.AANTWON (number of dwellings)
● e_neighbourhood.XCOORD; (x-coordinate of the centroid of the
neighbourhoods)
● e_neighbourhood.YCOORD (y-coordinate of the centroid of the
neighbourhoods).

The number of dwellings will be represented by classified proportional point

symbols, called graduated symbols in ArcGIS. The graduated symbols will
automatically be positioned on the centroids (derived from the x and the y
coordinates of the neighbourhoods).

► Now construct the map:

□ Select the Symbology tab in Layer Properties of e_neigbourhood.shp.

□ Since we want to represent absolute quantities, select Quantities in the

“Show:” window, then: Graduated symbols.

□ From the ‘Fields Value:’ drop down list, select the column CBS_data.
AANTWON.

A default legend appears: the number of dwellings per neighbourhood is

represented in 5 classes, based on the ‘Natural Breaks (Jenks)’ classification
method. The symbol sizes will always range from 4 Pica points for the smallest
symbol to 18 Pica points for the largest symbol. Colour and shape of the point
symbols and the colour of the background are also determined by ArcMap. If
required, all those defaults can be adapted.

□ Click ‘OK’ and judge the result in the map and also in the legend.

Fig. 11.9:
Draft version of a
Graduated symbol
map

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 Exercise 11. Spatial data visualisation

▐ When you consult the attribute table, you will notice that there are
neighbourhoods that do not have dwellings but still have a symbol, the
information is therefore misleading.

 Question 11.8
How can we be sure that there are only point symbols in neighbourhoods
with dwellings?

► Exclude symbols representing areas with no value

□ Select the Symbology tab in the Layer Properties of e_neigbourhood.

shp.

□ Click on the button ‘Classify…’ and the Classification window

appears.

Fig. 11.10:
Data exclusion
properties

□ In this window, click on the button ‘Exclusion…’ and the window Data
Exclusion Properties appears.

□ In this window, double click on the Field “CBS_data.AANTWON”

□ Next, click on the button ‘=’

□ Click the box “get Unique Values”

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 249
11.2 Step by step exercise

□ And double click on the Unique value “0”

□ Finally, click ‘OK’ (3x)

□ Save the map as Popabs.mxd

Now the point symbols in some areas have disappeared. Notice, however, that the
AREAS without symbols have ALSO disappeared; they are no longer represented
as neighbourhoods of Enschede. This is a common problem in ArcGIS, but it can
be solved (see the challenges in this chapter).

Fig. 11.11:
“Vanished” area
information because of
data exclusion
▐ ArcMap also offers the possibility to represent absolute quantitative data by
unclassified proportional point symbols.

► In a new Data Frame, test the option: Quantities > Proportional symbols
and compare the result with the saved map: “No of dwellings”.

Labelling area features

Next you will place text in areas on a map. In order to add names to areas (e.g.
neighbourhood names), we need to have this information available as a text string.
If you open the attribute table of the previously saved Popdens.mxd, you can find
the names of the neighbourhoods in the field: e_neighbourhood.NAME2_

► Label the neighbourhoods:

□ Open the ‘Map’: Popdens.mxd.

□ Open the layer properties of e_neighbourhood.shp and activate the tab:

Labels.

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 Exercise 11. Spatial data visualisation

□ Check: Label Features in this layer.

□ From the list under the heading: Text String; Label Field select: e_
neighbourhood.NAME2_

□ Click OK.

Fig. 11.12:
Labelling of area
features

Because of the small territorial extend of the majority of the neighbourhoods in

the centre of Enschede and the relatively long names, a number of names is not
well placed or not readable.

► Improve the readability

□ Try to change some of the settings in Layer Properties > Text Symbol:
Symbol > Other Options > Label Placement Options.

□ If necessary, improve the symbolisation and adjust the text placement.

□ Save the file

Fig. 11.13:
Improved labelling by
omission

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 251
11.2 Step by step exercise

Producing a layout

The final part of the exercise consists of producing a layout of the Population
Density of Enschede by neighbourhoods.

You will explore the layout possibilities of ArcMap. First a ‘default’ layout will be
produced, then we will adjust the result to improve the visualisation.

The result of the population density map in the Data View:

Fig. 11.14:
Result of the
population density map
of Enschede in the
Data View

Task:
Produce a ‘landscape’ oriented layout containing the following:
● The map of the Population Density of Enschede by Neighbourhood at
the scale 1: 100,000
● A scalebar
● Map title: Population Density of Enschede by Neighbourhood, 1999
● Legend: Population density.

► Creation of a ‘default’ layout

□ Select ‘Layout View’ in the menu View. ArcMap positions the geographic
information on a “Virtual page”, with the Default settings.

□ Right-mouse-click anywhere on the Virtual page outside the mapped

area and click Page and Print Setup…

□ Select paper size A4 and choose for Orientation: Landscape.

□ Click OK.

□ Change the scale indication in the Standard Toolbar in: 1: 100.000

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 Exercise 11. Spatial data visualisation

▐ In case you cannot change the scale, you have to set the units to
meters.

Reposition the map area on the map sheet.

In the next steps you are going to add marginal information.

► Adding the title of the map:

□ In the main menu select “Insert” and ‘Title’. A block of text will appear
somewhere on the Layout View.

□ Double-click the title box. In the dialogue window ‘Properties’>’Text’,

replace the text by: Population Density of Enschede by Neighbourhood,
1999.

□ Click ‘Apply’. You will see the result directly in the layout view (if
necessary, move the dialogue window ‘Properties’ to the left bottom
corner of the screen).

You probably like the text to be more pronounced. Try the possibilities ArcMap
offers within the dialogue window ‘Properties’, like ‘Character Spacing’, other
text styles under the button: ‘Change Symbol…’; the use of value (Bold, Medium,
Light); or ‘Mask’.

Click ‘Apply’ to judge the result on the screen. When you are satisfied with the
result, click OK.. If necessary, reposition the title to a more suitable place in the
layout.

► Add the scalebar.

ArcMap offers a number of different scalebars. We will use one example here.

□ From the main menu select “Insert” , ‘Scalebar’

□ Choose ‘Alternating Scale Bar 1’ and click OK. Note that ArcMap
positions the scalebar in the centre of the layout view.

□ Click and drag the scalebar to the position bottom center of the mapped
area.

□ The default scalebar will has to be adjusted to be readable. Right-click

on the scalebar and select “Properties”

□ ArcMap enables adjustments to the scalebar like: number of divisions;

unit of measurement; colour; fonts; size; etc. Attempt to produce a
scalebar that has the properties of the following example:

Fig. 11.15:
Addition of a scalebar

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11.2 Step by step exercise

The legend is required to relate the values of the colours in the neighbourhoods
to the classes in the legend.

► Add the legend.

□ Select ‘Legend’ from the Insert pulldown menu

□ In the ‘Legend Wizard’, select which layers you want to include in the
legend.

□ Click the button ‘Next’.

□ In this window, replace the ‘Legend’ by: Population density. If necessary

re-specify ‘Legend Title font properties’ and ‘Title Justification’. Click
‘Next’. In this window, you can specify whether you want a frame
around the legend, with or without a colour infill and a (drop)shadow
around the frame.

□ Each of these properties is editable: click the i button and make your
choices.

□ Click ‘Next’.

□ In the following two windows you can specify the distance between the
symbols and the explanatory text. Click ‘Finish’.

► Adding a north arrow.

□ Select ‘North Arrow’ from the Insert pull down menu.

In the dialogue window: ‘North Arrow Selector’ you can make a choice out of a
variety of examples of north arrows.

□ Choose a north arrow that suits the overall design of the layout. The
button ‘Properties’ allows you to fine-tune the chosen north arrow.
Click OK.

▐ It is possible to revise/adapt all components of the marginal information

afterwards.

The result could look like Fig. 11.6.

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 Exercise 11. Spatial data visualisation

Fig. 11.16:
Completed layout of
the map: Population
Density of Enschede
by Neighbourhood

11.3 Challenges

► Challenge 1:

Try to improve the impact of the design by some of the graphic novelties ArcMap
offers e.g. a gradient background, or a mask to reinforce the title….:

Fig. 11.17:
Application of ‘Graphic
novelties’ in ArcMap

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 255
11.4 Summary

► Challenge 2:

Try to use an alternative method to manually reposition the text in areas:

Convert Labels to Annotation (accessible by right clicking on the layer: e_
neighbourhood).

Remark:
The great disadvantage of the method: Convert Labels to Annotation…
Is that you break the ‘Live’ link with the data. The labels are converted to graphic
objects, and cannot be recalled anymore as labels!

► Challenge 3:

Try to produce layouts for the other maps, produced in this exercise.

► Challenge 4:

Refer to Fig. 11.11: How would you solve the problem of the missing areas?

11.6 Summary
In this exercise you developed skills to produce maps containing data of different
kind of nature. Furthermore one of the maps has been selected as a sample to
include a proper layout which is suitable to be used for publishing purposes.

One should realise that no ‘standard’ layout exists to meet the requirements of
every map but this exercise aims to be a guiding aid to produce maps from other
datasets.

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Exercise 12

Data quality

Topics:

Repair the reference between layers and datasets, Use Bookmark, Calculate error,
Check for systematic errors, Calculate Mx, My and RMSE

12.1 Introduction
In this practical you will learn to use a simple procedure to assess location errors.
The time required to complete this exercise is 60 minutes.

Data necessary to complete this exercise can be found in the Blackboard course 03:
Principles of GIS (2005) under: Assignments/Exercise 12: Data Quality/Exercise
data

In this dataset you will find a Map document (Lakes) and a geodatabase with the
feature dataset Lakes and two feature classes e_water (the water bodies of the
Enschede area) and ov_lakes (the lakes of the Overijssel Province).

► Copy the exercise data to your personal directory.

 Please refer to section 4.3 of the lecture notes for the theoretical
background of this exercise.

Shortcut
1. Open the Map document and repair the link to the source data
2. Use the Bookmark “Quality” to zoom to the area where you will per-

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12.2 Quality assessment

form the accuracy measures

3. You will see two features representing the same lake. For this lake:
● Calculate error
● Check for systematic error
● Calculate Mx, My and RMS
4. Do you think this error is acceptable?

Toolbars

There are no extra toolbars needed to complete this exercise.

12.2 Quality assessment

□ Open the ArcMap document “Lakes.mxd”

▐ Notice the red question marks that appear in front of the two layers in the
Table of Contents. Also notice that although the show/hide checkbox are
checked for both layers, the layers are not drawn in the Map window.

This indicates that a problem occurred while opening the Map document.
specifically it means that ArcMap cannot find the data layers referenced by this
Map document.
There are several reasons why this may happen. For instance, if the data
layers have been deleted, ArcMap will not be able to locate them.
In our case the problem is less drastic, here the problem occurs because the
data are not in the location stored in the Map Document, and ArcMap is looking
for the data in the wrong place.
To make be able to see the data and use it for your exercise you will need to
repair the link between the layers and the data.

Fig 12.1:
Missing data source ► Repair the reference between the layers and the datasets

□ Right click on the layer to display the layer Options menu. Select “Data”,
and then “Set Data Source”

□ In the dialog window, navigate to the new location of the data, select
the dataset and click the Add button

▐ Note that if your data sets are all in the same folder, you will only need to do this
for the first data layer. ArcMap automatically will find the rest of the datasets.

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 Exercise 12. Data quality

In other exercises (2,3,5) you also opened Map Documents that you had previously
copied from Blackboard. But in those cases you had no problems with the links
between the layers and the data sets.
In this case the problem occurs because the references to the data sets in the
Map Document were saved as absolute path names. Absolute path names include,
for instance, the drive letter of the hard disk where the data sets are stored. As
you copy the data sets from one computer to the other, drive letters are likely to
change. Similarly if you decide to organise the exercise data according to your
specific needs (which might be different from those of the person that created the
exercises) the sequence of folders in which you will store the data will likely be
different from the original one.

As a standard, when you want to share Map Documents and data sets with
somebody else, it is convenient to avoid using absolute path names.
How to avoid absolute path names will be the topic of one of the Challenges
at the end of this exercise.

Let’s move on to the assessment of the quality of your data sets. For your
convenience, we created a Bookmark which will lead you directly to the area
where you will take the measurements to calculate the accuracy of the data.

► Use the Bookmark “Quality” to zoom to the selected area

□ In the View menu go to Bookmarks, select the bookmark Quality

In your Map Document you see two layers representing Water bodies. One
was taken from a 1:50.000 scale map of Overijssel (ov_lakes) the other from the
1:100.000 scale map of the Enschede area (e_water).
We are going to calculate the error between the two lake features.

In order to compare the two features you need to measure the coordinates of
corresponding points. This means measuring the coordinates of a point in the
Overijssel feature and then measuring the coordinates of the corresponding point
(the same point) in the Enschede feature.
As an example to guide you in the selection of corresponding points, fig.
12.2 gives you some suggestions. Nevertheless you are free to choose your own
points.

Fig 12.2:
Examples of
corresponding points

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12.2 Quality assessment

▐ We understand that you can never be absolutely sure that your points are
indeed corresponding points. Do not forget that this is an exercise.

Given that the Overijssel data set was digitized from a larger scale map, we will
assume that it represents the ‘true’ location and shape of the lake.
For our exercise we will estimate the error of the lake in the Enschede dataset
from our “assumed” true.

To calculate the RMSE you will need to measure the coordinates of at least ten sets
of points. As you measure the coordinates of the points, you can enter them in the
table in appendix to this exercise.

 Question 11.1
Calculate the error at each point

□ Move your mouse pointer over the first of two corresponding points.

□ In the ArcMap status bar read the coordinates of the point and fill the
Easting and Northing of the first point in the table provided.

□ Now move the mouse pointer over the corresponding point.

□ Again, read the coordinates from the ArcMap status bar and fill the
Easting and Northing of the corresponding point in the table.

□ Repeat this procedure for at least nine more couples of points. (Note:
When you write the coordinates in the table, make sure you are consistent
and careful in entering the coordinates measured on the Enschede layer
in the (true) columns and the ones measured on the Overijssel layer in
the (meas) columns.)

□ When you have the true and measured value for both Easting and
Northing for all of your points, calculate the differences for both Easting
and Northing. Subtract the measured value from the true value. Write
the results in the columns provided (E true-meas and N true-meas).

□ Now calculate the square of the differences and write the result in the
dx2 and dx2 columns (you will use these values later when calculating
the RMSE)

You have now measured the coordinates of the corresponding points and you
have calculated the error of each point in x and y.

Let’s check whether there is a systematic error.

 Check the definition of Systematic Error in the lecture notes at page

107.

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 Exercise 12. Data quality

► Check for a Systematic Error

 Question 11.2
Visually check the data in your error table. Do you think that there is a
systematic error? Calculate the Systematic Error in both x and y.

► Calculate Mean Square Errors for both x and y (mx, my) and the total
Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)

□ Check the formulas at page 108 of your text book

□ Use the data that you collected in your error table and the formulas
form the text book to calculate Mx, My and RMSE

 Question 11.3
Do you think this error is acceptable?

▐ If you would like to check your calculations, a digital version of the table is
included in Blackboard

12.3 Challenges

► Challenge 1:

Now that you have an estimate of the accuracy of the Overijssel dataset, it is wise
to keep track of it updating the metadata.
Refer to the appropriate section in Exercise 1 and update the metadata of
the Overijssel dataset.
Describe your observations on the positional accuracy in the appropriate
field.
Note that you may write both values (quantitative) and free text (qualitative)
descriptions of the accuracy.

► Challenge 2:

In this exercise we noticed that the links between the layers and the datasets that
are stored in a Map Document can be saved either with absolute path names or
with relative path names.
Using the Help facilities provided with ArcMap, find out how you can
control whether the link are saved as absolute or as relative path names.
Test your findings by creating two documents with relative and absolute

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12.2 Summary

path names. Move them to a different folder and open them in ArcMap.

12.4 Summary
In this exercise you applied the formulas explained in your textbook to calculate
the location error between two features representing the same lake in two different
data sets.
If you have time left you can check other features in this dataset or other
datasets and check them for data quality and metadata.

262 ITC Educational Textbook Series

 Exercise 12. Data quality

Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Exercises GFM, GIM and UPLA 263